Chapter 70 of Part One

  I sat in my own office, Zhou Lun and Peng Ying sat opposite me. Zhou Lun's face was gloomy, and he said in a low voice, "Ah Xiao, news has come from Siberia that the Russians had actually secretly controlled a vast area of our country's Siberian region before our army entered. It is estimated that they have invaded more than one million square kilometers of our territory." As he spoke, he handed me the documents in his hand and said, "These are some Russian materials we found from past historical records."

  I took the documents from Zhou Lun's hands and looked at them without saying a word. "Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians originated from the same ancestors. Their ancestors were the ancient East Slavic tribes that formed between the 9th and 3rd centuries. In the 3rd century, the Mongols conquered the ancient East Slavic region and ruled it for 240 years. During the struggle against the Mongol conquerors and the establishment of a centralized state with Moscow as its center, the ancient East Slavs gradually divided into three nations, and the Russian nation was formed. As the Russian Empire expanded outward and its territory grew, Russians occupied the vast areas of the lower Volga River, the Urals, North Caucasus, and Siberia from the 7th to the 17th centuries, and then expanded to the Baltic coast, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and the Far East in the 18th and 19th centuries. Through extensive contact and intermarriage with other nations, they adopted many excellent cultural elements and production technologies from other nations. Under different conditions in various regions, Russians formed several branches by the mid-9th century, mainly including the southern branch and the northern branch. The two major branches had certain differences in pronunciation, clothing, etiquette, and architectural style. Between the two major branches, a central branch with characteristics of both was also formed. Another branch is the Cossacks. They were originally peasants and townspeople who escaped from the central regions of Russia to the border areas to avoid the oppression of the feudal serf system, and later were employed by the tsarist government as soldiers, playing an important role in the tsar's expansion into Siberia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. As a result, they enjoyed various privileges for a long time. By region, Cossacks can be divided into several ethnic groups, including Don, Kuban, Ural, and Siberian."

  I glanced at Peng Ying and said, "Xiao Ying, didn't the Mingfeng troops report to you which tribe of the Cossacks was it that attacked Zhao Zhe?"

  Peng Ying nodded and said, "En, since the Siberian tribe is still in its infancy, the main tribe this time is the Ural tribe. This time, joining the raid is their entire military strength."

  I nodded and continued to read "On September 7, 1661 (the 27th year of the Kangxi Emperor), about 250,000 square kilometers of land west of Xing'an Mountains and Argun River were lost after the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk with Russia."

  On October 21, 1727 (Qing Yongzheng 5th year), about 100,000 square kilometers of land south and southwest of Lake Baikal were lost to the Russian Empire with the signing of the Treaty of Kyakhta.

  In 1790 (the 55th year of Qing Emperor Qianlong), the approximately 100,000 square kilometer Kuril Islands were secretly annexed by Tsarist Russia.

  In 1840 (the 20th year of the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing dynasty), what was originally our vassal state of Kazakhstan was annexed by Tsarist Russia, with an area of about one million square kilometers.

  In 1840 (the 20th year of the Daoguang Emperor), the approximately 100,000 square kilometer area originally belonging to the Buryat people was annexed by Tsarist Russia.

  On May 28, 1858 (Qing Xianfeng 8), the vast territory of approximately 460,000 square kilometers west of the Heilongjiang River and north of the Wusuli River was occupied by Tsarist Russia, forcing the incompetent Qing dynasty to sign the Treaty of Aigun to recognize it.

  Having seen this, I finally couldn't bear it anymore. After seeing the long string of words that followed, I slapped the table and said "How is Zhao Zhe's body? And who exactly signed the appointment of the deputy commander of the Eighth Army Group? Investigate it for me, investigate to the end no matter who is involved. Now we've lost nearly 30,000 troops just to annihilate the enemy, what have you people been doing?"

  "I still can't help but say, 'It seems Alexei (Alexei Mikhailovich, 1645-1676) didn't know the height of heaven and earth. With just a few hundred million square kilometers of land, and just over 90 million people.' I sighed and said, 'After all, we are still influenced by the colors of the future era, always thinking that Russia is like our relatives. But when we see these historical facts, how terribly wrong we were!' After finishing speaking, I looked at Zhou Lun and Peng Ying sitting there silently and asked, 'Zhou Lun, as the Minister of National Defense, who signed the appointment letter?'"

  Zhou Lun nodded and stood up, saying "Ah Xiao, the order is mine."

  I was taken aback for a moment, and then regained my composure and said, "Zhou Lun, can you explain your reasons?" I knew that if he couldn't come up with a good reason at this moment, it would really mean that I had to punish him. After all, this battle was the greatest loss our empire has suffered since its establishment.

  Zhou Lun cleared his throat and gave me a military salute, saying "Your Majesty, I appointed him because Bao Xue was relatively serious about studying when he was in the country, and there was no sign of any extreme behavior. I think the key to women's liberation lies with this woman, so I issued the appointment."

  At this time, Peng Ying also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive Director Zhou's improper behavior."

  Under such an atmosphere, at this time the three of us had already used relatively unfamiliar terms. At that moment I sighed and said "Ah Lun, Xiao Ying, do you think I would forget? It's just that what we're doing now can't solve the problem of women's liberation. We can only wait for the emergence of the next generation of women."

  "I stood up and said, 'Order the 9th and 10th Group Armies stationed in Xinjiang to gather at the border. The local garrison and armed police will take over the local defense. The 9th Group Army will swiftly pass through Central Asia and head straight to the Ural Mountains. The 10th Group Army will be stationed on the border with the Ottoman Empire to prevent the Ottomans from taking advantage of the situation, while ordering the Air Force's First, Second, and Third Flying Brigades to set off immediately for Siberia. The Fourth and Fifth Brigades will head to the Xinjiang border, ready to take action at any time. Also, order the Pacific Fleet's First, Second, and Third Squadrons to ensure that European countries' warships are not suddenly attacked. At the same time, temporarily transfer two Pang-class battleships from the Fourth Squadron to the Indian Ocean. Patrol the Black Sea."

  Zhou Lun and Peng Ying both nodded their heads in unison saying "yes".

  I looked at the two of them and said, "Start mobilizing veterans and reservists across the country through television. Be prepared to be called up for service at any time. Also, bring the 6th and 5th Armies from the Southwest Military Region to prepare to enter Siberia as reinforcements. Another point is that the number of immigrants in Siberia will increase to one million. Except for the First Army, the Second, Third, and Fourth Armies will start recruiting volunteers to strengthen their training intensity. In the Siberian campaign, those who have made military achievements will be awarded the National Second-Class Medal of Bravery. Those who have made special contributions will be granted the title of viscount and the Emperor's Medal. There are also other specific reward measures for you to handle. Additionally, the Mongolian Cavalry First Army will be deployed to search for enemy forces on Russian Asian territory with all its might, and drive out civilians from Asia, killing those who resist."

  After saying all this in one breath, I slightly calmed down and said "Where is that female general now? Immediately recall her to Beijing and appoint her as the Deputy Political Commissar of the Beijing Garrison Command with the rank of Major General."

  Bao Xue glanced at the Yeselein Castle in front of her and smiled slightly, "What's with the bad premonition? I've brought over 4,000 troops all the way here without any commotion." Just then, a horse came galloping over. From afar, one could still see the figure on the horse. Bao Xue furrowed her brow and cursed in her heart, "What's happened now?"

  The groom immediately stopped the horse and a soldier with the rank of upper officer ran up to salute, saying "Report to the commander, the Blood Dragon Special Forces Commander is leading 500 soldiers in Volga River garrison surrounded by 1.2 million Russian troops, the situation is critical."

  Bao Xue suddenly stopped. Even when leading the Eighth Army to face a bigger problem, he had never been so flustered before. "120,000? 5,000 people... and where did more than 1,000 people go?" Bao Xue thought in his heart. He said, looking at Yselinburg in the distance, "Launch an all-out attack on Yselinburg to avenge Commander Zhao Zhe."

  More than 4,000 troops were also at a loss in the face of Yiselina's defensive fortifications. Bao Xue suppressed his anger and gave orders one after another: "Artillery company, target the front 3207 high ground, fire! Start charging company, front trench, sniper company, do your best to eliminate the gunners inside the bunker. Demolition company, be ready to demolish at any time." A series of orders went out, and a team of soldiers rushed out from their own position. At the same time, the powerful artillery behind them also made a deafening sound.

  The enemy has been at a standoff for almost four days, and in the past four days, the position has only advanced by more than 300 meters. Li Yun and Li Feng brothers are leading their troops of over 10,000 soldiers to cross the Ural Mountains. Li Yun looked at the soldiers who were shivering with cold and said, "Comrades, our commander is resisting an army of tens of thousands with a force of only 500 people. We cannot lose the morale of the Blood Dragon Special Forces. You must remember that we are the emperor's direct special forces, the elite among the elites. Come on, we will cross the Ural Mountains soon."

  As the Blood Dragon Squad's attack from behind Yserinburg became irreversible, Bao Xue watched as the enemy's firepower weakened and didn't miss the opportunity to shout at the bugler "Sound the charge, prepare for battle."

  Zhu Xiao's orders were swiftly dispatched. All the troops that needed to be mobilized had already set out at once. The First Mongolian Cavalry Army was now galloping across Siberian soil.

  Bao Xue sat in the office of Yese Linbao, her face filled with worry and distress. "What happened to him? Will he really sacrifice himself? No, it can't be."

  "Commander, military orders," reported the guard outside.

  Bao Xue took over the order from the guard, Military Department No. 4, Order No. 2, Article 8, Lieutenant General Bao Xue, Acting Commander of the Eighth Group Army. After receiving the order, he immediately transferred the defense to the Blood Dragon Special Forces Colonel Li Yun and returned to the military department to report for duty. Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies of the Chinese Empire Zhu Xiao

  Bao Xue gently placed the order on her desk, stood up and looked at the plain under the Ural Mountains, sighed and muttered to herself "The responsibility that should be borne has finally come."

  He said to the guard outside the door, "Go and ask Colonel Li Yun of the Blood Dragon Special Forces to come over." Then he sat back at his own desk, listening to the knock on the door. Bao Xue looked up and saw that Li Yun's eyes were not friendly, saying "Colonel, please sit down."

  Li Yun hummed coldly and sat down silently, staring at Bao Xue.

  "I know you're resentful of my wrong decision, don't worry, I will take the responsibility that I should bear. This time, the imperial court has ordered me to return to Beijing to report for duty, so I hope you can solidify the city's defense. I believe that if we occupy this fortress, the Russians will be afraid and will definitely mobilize a large number of troops to retake it, your responsibility will be great." He said, his face changing as he continued, "Colonel Li Yun, I order you in my capacity as Major General."

  Li Yun stood up straight with a serious expression when he heard her say that.

  Bao Xue continued, "By order of His Majesty, the Eighth Army's acting commander Bao Xue officially hands over defense to Colonel Li Yun of the Blood Dragon Special Forces."

  Li Keming is looking at the battle map, now Old Alexander that old fellow has led his more than 500,000 troops into the Siberian mountains. After several skirmishes that lured Alexander's troops to annihilate thousands of people, this old fox actually ignored himself and took his troops to run away.

  Li Keming looked at the map, his head was big. Although the blockade brought some difficulties to their supplies, it was also difficult for them to catch up with them. Moreover, they had to take care of the defense and construction of Qixing Fortress and the oil field on their side. Thinking of this, Li Keming sighed, threw the pen aside, and just wanted to go out for a walk. The guard ran in and said "Commander, military order."

  Li Keming was taken aback and said "Nian"

  The guard opened the order with reverence, glanced at Li Keming, and read aloud: "Military Department No. 4, Order No. 22, Article 7, All officers and men of the Seventh Group Army, from the day you receive this order, launch a lightning attack on Alexander, without hesitation or counting casualties. Those who do not surrender will be executed. In addition, the First and Second Air Force Squadrons will cooperate with you in combat, and the Marine Corps will land soon to coordinate with you in combat. It is hoped that all enemies will be eliminated within one month, and all Russian nationals will be expelled from Asian territory. Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies of the Chinese Empire, Zhu Xiao."

  "Commander, the air force requests a place to land."