"Come on, gather all the officers above the division commander, I have something to say!" Grand Duke Nikolai said to the adjutant.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" The adjutant immediately sent someone to inform the generals that they had gone.

The squadron has already appeared to the south and east of Ulan-Ude, the vanguard, less than ten kilometers from Ulan-Ude. Although it has been quiet for more than ten days, the atmosphere is becoming more and more tense. Grand Duke Nikolai could faintly feel that the current war in Ulan-Ude was about to break out. The squadron has been preparing for so long, and this battle must be very intense. Grand Duke Nikolai was faintly worried, with 200,000 people in his hands, would he be able to hold Ulan-Ude? He had no confidence in that. If Ulan-Ude is lost, the entire millions of square kilometers east of Lake Baikal will be lost. As a general of the Russian army and the uncle of Tsar Nicholas II, Grand Duke Nicholas naturally knew the importance of this battle. In the event of defeat, the Russian army will be in an extremely disadvantageous position.

Ten minutes later, all the officers of the Russian army at or above the division level in Ulan-Ude gathered in the conference room of the headquarters. The command of the Russian army, for the time being, was placed in the town hall of Ulan-Ude. It's just that after the battle starts, the command will definitely have to move to a safer place. As the city hall of Ulan-Ude, this place will definitely become a key target for the squadron.

After Grand Duke Nikolai came to the conference room, the entire conference room was already full of generals of the Russian army, a total of about thirty people. Including the commanders of the 2nd and 5th Cossack regiments of the Russian army, as well as the commander of the 9th Cossack regiment defeated in Kyakhta. The commanders of the remaining infantry divisions, as well as the commanders of the artillery units, and so on.

After seeing Grand Duke Nicholas come in. Everyone immediately got up. Salute to Grand Duke Nicholas. Grand Duke Nikolai is now an important figure on the Russian side. At the same time, he was of noble birth and had a great influence on the Russian side.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the battlefield in Eastern Siberia has been calm for more than ten days. However, according to the information we have, a big war will break out soon, and it may even break out in a day or two. The ministries must be ready for battle. His Majesty the Tsar sent a telegram asking for us. Hold Ulan-Ude no matter what. Now our troops from the European region are being transferred to Eastern Siberia in large numbers. The longer we hold out, the more reinforcements will arrive. Although, the strength of the squadron is far beyond our imagination. However, we Slavs are not vegetarians either. In this battle of Ulan-Ude, we must hold out until the end. Otherwise, what awaits us is not just as simple as decommissioning, but also a very high probability of going to court-martial! Grand Duke Nicholas said the generals sitting on either side of the long table in the conference room.

Russian generals. All of them looked stern. If before the war, they thought they could defeat the Chinese lightly. The wanton plundering of China's territory and wealth, but the Kyakhta War, which followed the start of the war, and the Great Wars in the Far East and Central Asia, woke them up. These battles have shown that China is no longer the weak country that drags a pig's tail behind its head and allows them to bully. It's very uncomfortable, but that's exactly what it is. In this war, it will be difficult for Russia to get the victory they want.

"But don't worry too much. At the end of this month, a combined fleet of Great Britain, France, and us will sail from Europe to China. All of them will be able to reverse the war if we drag it out until the end of June at most. China's navy, although strong, is certainly no match for the combined fleet of our three countries. Twenty-nine battleships, enough to annihilate the Chinese Navy. Once the Chinese Navy is annihilated, then we will win this war. China's economically developed places are all in the coastal areas. As long as we defeat the Chinese Navy, then we will be able to win the war! So, I firmly believe that as long as we hold out for two to three months, the final victory will be ours. When we return to Moscow, we will be treated like heroes. His Majesty the Tsar has never treated a meritorious servant badly, and when we have won the victory, we will have countless glory and wealth! Grand Duke Nikolai continued. Now the situation of the Russian army is very difficult, and he must inspire everyone's fighting spirit. Otherwise, the 200,000 Russian troops with low morale will definitely not be able to resist the attack of the more than 300,000 squadrons like wolves. Even if they have armed Ulan-Ude like a fortress, that is the same.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, we will fight this battle well. The great Cossack cavalry will let those vile and shameless Chinese know that we are awesome! The commander of the 2nd Cossack Regiment, Major General Dimitri, said unashamedly.

Hearing Dimitry's words, the 9th Cossack regiment commanded

Major General Anatoly pursed his lips, but said nothing. When the squadron was besieging Kyakhta, his 9th Cossack Regiment was ordered to rescue the Russian troops in Kyakhta. However, it was bloodied in the face of the strong firepower of the Chinese Third Cavalry Army. In the end, it was pursued all the way by the Chinese Third Cavalry Army, and when it fled back to Ulan-Ude, only 10,000 people remained, and half of the troops were lost. The final result of the Battle of Kyakhta caused the Russian army to lose more than 100,000 people, and also directly sent the commander of the Russian army, Lieutenant General Vladimir, to a military court. This allowed Lieutenant General Vladimir's wish to return to Moscow, but he went back to stand trial. What awaits Lieutenant General Vladimir will be decades in prison. This is still because of his status as a nobleman, and he fell lightly. Otherwise, the furious Tsar Nicholas II would have sent him directly to a military court. And people like Major General Anatoly, after the arrival of Grand Duke Nicholas, had no say at all. Of course, as a Russian, he should have told the Grand Duke Nicholas of his law. It's just that the devil sent the gods, but he kept silent.

"Major General Dimitry, I am very happy that you can have such confidence. However, I would like to remind you not to underestimate the Chinese. The Chinese Third Cavalry Corps was composed entirely of Mongols. Hundreds of years ago, these Mongols conquered Europe. Even in the previous battles, the cavalry of the Chinese was also very good! Grand Duke Nikolai reminded.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Major General Dimitri replied humbly. However, it is very difficult to say how much he will be able to listen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will not say much about the importance of the upcoming war for us. If we can hold Ulan-Ude, then we will be the heroes of Russia. If it fails, it will be a huge disaster for us, and even for our families. Grand Duke Nikolai reminded repeatedly. Now he, as well as the Russian army in East Siberia as a whole, has no way to retreat. Tsar Nicholas II put the entire military of Eastern Siberia under his command, however, the tsar needed victory, not defeat. If he fails, even if he is the Tsar's own uncle, then he may never have the opportunity to command the troops again.

"Yes, Your Excellency! We will definitely be able to hold out to the end and defeat the Chinese! All the Russian generals replied.

"Excellent! Next, the specific operational deployment is as follows. The 2nd Cossack Corps and the 5th Cossack Corps, your line of defense, mainly the flanks of Ulan-Ude, the explosion of the truth from Ulan-Ude to Lake Baikal is not cut off by the Chinese! Grand Duke Nikolai said.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" The commanders of both corps replied. Although, perhaps, they were not very satisfied with such an order, they did not dare to object in the presence of Grand Duke Nikolai.

Grand Duke Nikolai nodded. Now the Ulan-Ude railway to Irkutsk has been cut off, and supplies from Irkutsk to Nikolai are either transported by boat across Lake Baikal or by land from the Verkhny Baikal region to Guò, although both of these methods are far less convenient than the railway. In addition, this is also a retreat for the Russian army. If Ulan-Ude really can't hold it, the Russian army can still withdraw to Irkutsk through Guò to continue to resist. Therefore, it is very important to keep the way out.

"General Anatoly, your 9th Cossack Regiment is tasked with holding the north of Ulan-Ude." Grand Duke Nikolai said. The tasks of the 9th Cossack Regiment were about the same as those of the 2nd Cossack Regiment and the 5th Cossack Regiment. It's just that the current Ninth Cossack Regiment suffered heavy losses, so it was arranged to the flank of Ulan-Ude, so that the pressure was a little less.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Major General Anatoly replied. He was more than happy to accept such a task, in which case his 9th Cossack Regiment would be the safest. If the war does not go well, he can even immediately flee north, bypassing the Verkhniogyakar region and returning to Irkutsk.

"The rest of the infantry and artillery, our task is to defend Ulan-Ude, we will fight to the death with the Chinese here, and let the Chinese dry their blood in Ulan-Ude!" Grand Duke Nikolai said in a deep voice. With 150,000 men to defend the fortified city of Ulan-Ude, and with a large number of fortifications built, Grand Duke Nicholas was still very confident. As long as the logistics and supplies can keep up, it is completely possible to fight a protracted war with the Chinese. Of course, even if the logistics are cut off, the Russian army will be able to bow for more than three months, and by then, the battle of the Navy should have been decided. (To be continued.) )

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