Wang Yuze nodded, Siberia is too big, hundreds of thousands of troops look a lot, but if you sprinkle it, it will be nothing. The Russian army in Irkutsk has now become a turtle in an urn and has no way to retreat. It is true that besieging Irkutsk and forcing the Russian army to surrender will take more time, but it can reduce a lot of casualties for the army. Wang Yuze attaches great importance to this point. In addition, on the Siberian battlefield, China is indeed a little short of troops, and the base camp is even preparing whether to drop the Eighth Army deployed in the city of buying and selling into the battlefield. If Irkutsk were to turn from a strong attack to a siege, at least one army group would be saved, so that the Eighth Army would not have to be put into the battlefield and would not be too affected by the already weak logistical supply lines.

"Your Majesty, I think it's completely doable. The Fifth Army and the 1st Cavalry Army have already occupied Omsk, so we must not give up any more land east of Omsk. Transferring an army group from Irkutsk to the west can wipe out the hundreds of thousands of Russian troops entrenched between Omsk and Meget, which is very beneficial for controlling this area and strengthening the defense of Omsk. According to the information we have received, the Russian army is mobilizing forces for the counterattack on Omsk. According to preliminary estimates, the Russian army will put 300,000 troops in Omsk, or even more! Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo also said.

"In that case, then agree with General Cai's plan! However, in this case, the battle of Irkutsk will drag on for a long time! Wang Yuze said. The food and ammunition stored by the Russian army in Irkutsk are enough to support the Russian army for at least two or three months.

"Your Majesty, maybe it won't be long before the Russian army in Irkutsk will surrender! The combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia has entered the Bay of Bengal, and soon they will enter the Strait of Malacca and then enter the South China Sea. At that time, the decisive battle between the navy and the combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia will begin, and if the navy can win, will the Russian army in Irkutsk still have to hold on? I believe that Grand Duke Nicholas must also be waiting for a decisive battle between our navy and the combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia. If we fail, then Grand Duke Nicholas will certainly continue to resist. If we win, then he will have to surrender! Chief of the General Staff Xiong Wu said.

"In this way, the Russian army in Irkutsk will soon be able to solve it. Nearly 500,000 Russian troops, this is a sufficient labor force! Wang Yuze sighed. In the East and in the Russian Far East, Russian prisoners had already begun to take part in the labor, linking the Chinese railways with the Russian Far East, so that China could strengthen its control over these regions. In addition, the government planned to build a large number of settlements in the Russian Far East to facilitate Japanese migration to these areas. Although the weather in Siberia is cold, the land is vast and sparsely populated, and the land is still relatively fertile, and China will definitely immigrate to these places after the war. These prisoners of the Russian army can just serve as free labor.

"Your Majesty, recently Nicholas II has begun to raise taxes frequently in Russia in order to expand his army, which has made the Russians miserable. Quite a few capitalists and merchants, and even the aristocracy, were dissatisfied with Nicholas II. According to the conclusions we have reached, Russia is prone to violent outbreaks. If the situation is out of control, Grand Duke Nikolai can be a good pawn. We can even support Grand Duke Nicholas and let him go to fight a civil war with Tsar Nicholas II. Either way, make sure we maximize our benefits! Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo said.

Wang Yuze nodded, isn't the Russian ** in history because Russia was frequently defeated in World War I? The current situation is very similar to that of World War I. It would be even better if civil strife broke out in Russia. China could even take advantage of this opportunity to slash Russia in the body. The thousands of tons of gold of the Russian royal family, Wang Yuze has been thinking about it for a long time. China's financial reform, the currency reform from the silver standard to the gold standard, requires a large amount of gold as a support. Wang Yuze had his mind on Russia a long time ago. Although the free circulation of gold and silver has been abolished since the establishment of the empire, and gold and silver have gradually been replaced by Chinese dollar banknotes, there are also many loopholes. In the post-war period, China needed time to reform these areas. As for the funds needed for the reforms, they could be raised through war reparations and the sale of weapons and ammunition to the warring parties after the civil strife in Russia.

"How's the Navy preparing? This battle is crucial. If the navy cannot achieve victory according to our expectations, even with the support of the army, we will not be defeated, but the war dividends obtained will probably be greatly reduced! "Wang Yu

Ze asked. Although, according to the war games in the base camp, the probability of the Chinese Navy winning is more than eighty percent, but when the matter is approaching, he is still a little relieved.

"Your Majesty, the Admiralty has assured them that they will be victorious. Lord Zhang of the Admiralty has already gone to Beihai in person. All the warships of the home fleet are ready for battle. The main warships of the home fleet have been concentrated in Beihai Port and Zhanjiang Port, and after the combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia enters the South China Sea, they will go to sea to fight a decisive battle with them! Chief of the General Staff Xiong Wu replied.

"What about the submarine forces? Ready to go? Wang Yuze asked, the submarine will be used as a secret weapon in this naval battle. The power of submarines has also been recognized by the Chinese Navy. In this naval battle, submarines will act as the first wave of striking forces. When the submarine attack caused chaos in the combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia, it was time for the home fleet of the Chinese Navy to fight a decisive battle with the combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia. Wang Yuze attaches great importance to this battle. The eyes of the whole of China, and even the whole world, are focused here.

"Your Majesty is relieved that the submarine base built by the Navy in Subic Bay has been put into operation. All the submarines are currently deployed there! After the combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia enters the South China Sea, they will be dispatched! Xiong Wu replied.

When Wang Yuze heard this, he was relieved.

"Your Majesty, before the decisive battle between the Navy and the combined fleets of Britain, France, and Russia, the battle between the Pacific Fleet and the US Navy will probably start first. The latest news I got today is that the US West Coast Fleet has sailed from its San Diego base. The U.S. government must have been under pressure from the British, so it's going to have a decisive battle with us! Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo said.

"Oh? How is the Pacific Fleet preparing? Can you win? Wang Yuze asked.

"The strengthened Pacific Fleet is no less than the West Coast Fleet of the US Navy. The Pacific Fleet is also combat-ready. The fleet will go to sea this evening. It is expected that the battle between the Pacific Fleet and the US Navy will begin in three to four days. I am sure that the Pacific Fleet will not let us down! Chief of the General Staff Xiong Wu said.

After the base camp made its decision, it was quickly notified to the northern battlefield. After receiving the order, War Minister Cai Yun immediately convened a military meeting and made the latest deployment. According to the latest deployment, the First Army will be transferred from Irkutsk and attack west from Meget, the first step is to destroy more than 100,000 Russian troops entrenched in Cheremkhovo, and then continue to advance westward to Omsk, where it will fight the Russian counteroffensive against Omsk together with the Fifth Army and the First Cavalry Army.

The siege of Irkutsk was completed by the 3rd and 4th Armies, and the 3rd Cavalry Corps was deployed as a mobile force. With two army groups plus a cavalry corps, the strength of 360,000 men was enough to form a tight encirclement of Irkutsk. In addition, the squadron has an absolute advantage in artillery power, even if the Russian army in Irkutsk wants to break through in the future, it will be impossible. Of course, in order to form a tight encirclement, the squadron also needs to build a tight line of defense in Irkutsk west, north and east. As for the south of Irkutsk, there is the Angara River moat, and the Russian army, after blowing up the bridge over the river, also blocked itself.

The squadron changed its strategy against Irkutsk, from an offensive to a siege, although the shelling continued every day, but this made the Russian army breathe a sigh of relief. At the very least, the chances of dying in this way are much smaller. As for what to do in the future, it is not something they can think about, it should be a question for Grand Duke Nikolai, the supreme commander of the Russian army in Irkutsk, to think about.

In fact, the squadron changed its strategy, and Grand Duke Nicholas was also very satisfied. If the squadron takes a strong attack on Irkutsk, he is not sure how long Irkutsk will be able to hold out when the artillery is completely suppressed. Moreover, he is not sure how long the strong combat effectiveness of the Russian army that broke out under his high-pressure policy can last. If the Russian army collapses, then Irkutsk will not be able to hold it. Therefore, the strategy of encircling but not attacking the squadron is exactly what Grand Duke Nicholas wants.

Of course, Grand Duke Nicholas was also waiting, waiting for a change in the tide of the war. The decisive battle between the combined fleets of Britain, France and Russia and the Chinese navy will soon break out. Only after the results of this naval battle came out did he make a decision on the next stage. Of course, he firmly believed that the combined fleet of Britain, France and Russia, with an overwhelming superiority, would definitely achieve the final victory!