Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Liu Ye said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the Russians are invading our borders. There is only one word: fight. We must fight whether we can defeat them or not. The Russians are insatiable, completely different from the British and French. After all, the British and French are thousands of miles away from us, and at most they would plunder some gold and silver treasures. But the Russians are so close, they want to seize our territory. Not a single inch of our ancestral heritage can fall into the hands of the Chinese! I am willing to request an imperial decree to patrol the border and fight a life-and-death battle with Tsarist Russia!"

Xianfeng said in a deep voice: "Aren't you unsure?"

Liu Ye smiled proudly and replied, "Your Majesty, I've already said it before. We must fight whether we can win or not! The Qing Dynasty has 360 million people. Two thousand men are no match for them. Can't we mobilize 5,000 men? If 5,000 men are no match, then we can mobilize 20,000! Until Tsarist Russia is completely defeated, so that they dare not easily cross the border again! Those who offend the Han will be punished no matter how far away they are! The Han people have such character and courage. Do we lack blood and courage?"

Sushun, standing aside, shouted, "Well, Liu Ye, you're right! The foreigners are greedy, cold-blooded, and cunning. We must teach them a lesson! Your Majesty, I support Liu Ye's suggestion to send troops to patrol the border!"

Weiren hesitated and said, "Su Zhongtang, this is no joke. How many troops will we need to mobilize for a Sino-Russian war? How much money and food will it cost? Moreover, it's thousands of miles from the capital to Heilongjiang. How long will it take us to travel on the road? These are all unknown factors..."

Xianfeng hesitated for a moment. Fighting a war meant spending money! Moreover, it was a long and arduous journey, mobilizing a large army. If they could win, it would be fine. However, if they lost, it would be a real waste of money and manpower. Not only would they have to lose land, but they would also have to pay compensation. It was really a headache.

Xianfeng asked, "Liu Ye, since you believe this battle must be fought, do you have any mature strategies?"

Liu Ye replied, "Your Majesty, first, regarding the military strength, Lord Yishan said that the Russian military strength has increased to more than 5,000 people. Perhaps Yishan has exaggerated a little, but it is true that the military strength is strong. The troops I have in Baoding Town are indeed insufficient. I request to send three to six more battalions of troops, or allocate a firearms battalion for standby use; second, regarding weapons, although the Russians' weapons are not as sophisticated as those of the British and French, they are also equipped with a large number of firearms, especially their cavalry, which are equipped with cavalry-specific lances with a range of no less than two or three hundred steps, far exceeding the bows and arrows of the imperial cavalry. If we want to defeat them, I need to allocate some guns, ammunition, and artillery. Thirdly, the journey to Heilongjiang by land is probably no less than 3,000 miles. Even if we march at full speed, it will take nearly two months to reach the destination. This is too long. By the time the army arrives, I am afraid we will have lost all our opportunities. I suggest renting American merchant ships from Tianjin to escort the army all the way to Chongjin in Korea. It is very close to the Jiangdong area. Moreover, the speed of marching by sea is much faster than that by land. In my estimation, this can save our army at least 20 days!"

Xianfeng nodded slightly. Although he did not understand Liu Ye's analysis very deeply, compared with those ministers who had no plan in mind, it was already very good. At least he came up with a set of strategies.

Sushun frowned and replied, "Liu Ye, I'm afraid it will be difficult to send more troops. First of all, almost all of the elite soldiers of the five or six battalions are now concentrated under the command of the Monk King. In addition to defending the capital, he is also busy suppressing the Nian bandits. He still lacks enough troops, so how can he help you? As for the Firearms Battalion, it is the last barrier of our capital. The safety of the emperor depends on it. If you transfer the Firearms Battalion, what will happen to the defense of the capital?"

Liu Ye felt a surge of frustration. Damn it, you have all the troops to suppress the Nian Rebellion, but we have nothing to fight foreign invasions? One is fratricidal, the other is a foreign invader. Who's close? Can't you even tell the difference? And what about the Firearms Battalion? If the foreigners attack, do you really expect these few hundred men to drive them away? With me here, the Firearms Battalion can unleash its might. Without me, with that useless Zaidun, I'm afraid they won't even get close. I'm afraid he'll be scared shitless, right?

Liu Ye replied, "Your Majesty, Su Zhongtang, if we only send troops from Baoding, even if I have extraordinary abilities, I cannot guarantee victory. Unless the court equips the entire Baoding garrison with foreign rifles and artillery, I will face an enemy twice my size with only 2,000 men. Even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice!"

Xianfeng nodded and replied, "Liu Ye, in your opinion, how many weapons do I need to equip Baoding Town?"

Liu Ye pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, you have already allocated 300 rifles and 10 cannons to Baoding. To arm the entire city, I need an additional 20 cannons and 1,500 rifles. I also need 3,000 rounds of ammunition and 2,000 boxes of ammunition! As long as these are fully equipped and with the assistance of Lord Yishan, I can guarantee victory!"

Xianfeng's mouth twitched. The firearms the Americans had shipped this time weren't that many. The first batch consisted of only 3,500 rifles and a hundred artillery pieces, and Liu Ye had taken more than a third of them in one go! It was heartbreaking!

However, the Tsarist Russia was invading the border, and the situation was urgent. There was absolutely no time to delay. As long as they could repel the Russians, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and agree to Liu Ye.

Xianfeng said with difficulty, "Liu Ye, you were the one who single-handedly arranged for the Western weapons from the United States this time. You know, they only gave us this much. I have already allocated 2,000 rifles to Zeng Guofan and the monk king, leaving only 1,200. As for the artillery, I still have 20 pieces. Well, I will grant your wish."

Weiren said, "Your Majesty, I have one more thing to say. If it is really as Liu Ye said, renting American merchant ships to transport troops would be a considerable expense. The national treasury is in financial difficulty right now..."

Liu Ye was almost so angry that he vomited blood. None of these old men could do their job! Apart from causing trouble for themselves, there was no time for comfort!

Liu Ye said angrily, "Master Japanese! Renting an American merchant ship would cost only ten thousand taels of silver per ship. With two thousand five hundred soldiers, we only need four large ships, which would cost fifty thousand taels of silver. But have you ever considered that my five battalions, after being equipped with weapons, can only march sixty miles a day on land! It would take two months to reach Heilongjiang. How much food would be consumed per day? How much food would be consumed in sixty days? Don't you, a dignified Grand Secretary, even know which one is more cost-effective? Did an old woman teach you arithmetic on the street?"