Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

The boring life at sea finally ended. The five camps of Baoding Town and a cavalry camp of Senggelinqin supporting Liu Ye finally arrived in Qingjin. The matter had already been reported to the Korean royal family through the court through an express delivery of 700 miles.

Naturally, the Qingjin side did not dare to be negligent and let the Qing army pass through. Not only that, the Qingjin officials also handed over all the Russian military intelligence they had collected in recent days and delivered from the Heilongjiang General's Mansion to Liu Ye.

This is a precious timely relief. Without sufficient intelligence, no one dares to attack the Russian army rashly.

After carefully reviewing the intelligence, Liu Ye discarded the useless information and said, "Everyone, the situation is now very clear. The Russian army has gathered over 4,000 troops in the area east of the Ussuri River. They are scattered across seven important cities here. Relying on their control of these cities, they have a firm grasp on the situation east of the Ussuri River. Not only that, Tsarist Russia has begun to send large numbers of immigrants to this area in an attempt to completely bring this area under its control."

Gao Qi narrowed his eyes and cursed fiercely, "Fuck you! Over 6,000 people! In just two or three months, the Russian devils have killed over 6,000 people in this area and looted countless villages. These beasts are truly inhumane. If God doesn't take their lives, I will! General, tell me, how should we fight? This time, we must make the Russian devils feel pain! I'm going to beat the shit out of them!"

Liu Ye slowly opened the military map, hung it on the wall, pointed at Aichun and Vladivostok and said: "Brother Qimou, and you, look, this Qingjin Port is only a hundred miles away from Aichun. It is connected to the sea in the east, the northeast in the west, and North Korea in the south. It is a strategic location and must be one of the Russian military strongholds. As for Vladivostok, which is a little further away, it is about two or three hundred miles from here to Vladivostok. Vladivostok is almost the only natural ice-free port north of Heilongjiang. I think, in the time of Emperor Alexander, He planned to build it into a military fortress, so he could use it as a base to launch a war of aggression against China at any time! These two cities are important strategic and military bases for Tsarist Russia, and are our primary targets of attack. No matter what, Vladivostok must not fall into the hands of the Russians, even if we have to destroy it! Our most important task now is to determine the strength of the Russian army in the two cities, and then annihilate the Russians in one fell swoop and recapture Vladivostok!

He Qimou nodded and replied, "Yezi is right. Only by knowing both ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle. Yezi, how about this? We send out the prince's entire cavalry battalion to test the Russian army's capabilities?"

Liu Ye smiled faintly and replied, "We need to test their strength, of course. However, our main force can't just sit idle. According to my estimation, the Russian forces in Aichun won't be too strong, probably less than a thousand men. After all, they still have a lot of towns to occupy and control. How can a few thousand men be enough? The Russian forces are bound to be dispersed. While we're testing their strength, we can't sit idle!"

As he spoke, Liu Ye pointed his finger at the middle area between Aichun and Vladivostok, and continued, "If our main force besieges Aichun, the army of Aichun will probably find it difficult to hold on and will definitely ask the Russian army for help. The main force of the Russian army in Vladivostok will rush to Aichun with all their strength, and this road is the only way they must pass. The road is flat and the distance is short, making it the most convenient and fast way to march! We can ambush our cavalry battalion here. Hehe, with our deliberate plan, even if the Russian army survives, we will severely punish them!"

The location Liu Ye pointed out was Wild Wolf Hill, which was only sixty miles away from Aichun. It was a high earthen platform that overlooked the surroundings. It was an excellent strategic high ground with wild grass growing on it, making it easy to hide. From Wild Wolf Hill to the main road, it was only a few hundred meters away. For the cavalry, they could reach there in a flash. This location was truly a godsend!

Everyone nodded, but He Qimou frowned and asked, "Ye Zi, we're going to ambush the Russian army? This is no joke. If the main force of the Russian army comes to support, there will be at least a thousand or even more soldiers. We can ambush the Russian army with only a cavalry battalion of 400 people? Isn't the force a little too little?"

Liu Ye laughed heartily and said, "Brother Qimou, I once said that quality is more important than quantity. Although our cavalry battalion has only been in existence for a short time, its military discipline, coordination, and courage have already taken shape. All that remains is the baptism of actual combat. A major battle will quickly mature them. Such opportunities are rare. Using cavalry to ambush infantry, even if they are outnumbered, what good will it do? Can the Russian army surround and annihilate us? I don't think they have that ability!"

He Qimou replied, "It's not just that. The Russian army's manpower is one aspect, and their firearms are another. If a cavalry battalion were to attack a group of thousands of Taiping rebels, we would surely win. After all, swords and spears are no match for muskets and artillery. However, if the Russian army were also equipped with sophisticated firearms, we would be in for a tough time. Besides, who knows if the Tsarist Russia even had cavalry?"

Liu Ye said in a deep voice: "So, this is why I want to test the Russian army's strength and see where they come from! However, even if they have cavalry, their strength won't be too great, so there's no need to worry too much. Moreover, even if they have firearms, hehe, they are no match for us. Do you know why?"

He Qimou shook his head in confusion, and Liu Ye replied, "Because, most of the Russian army is now equipped with muzzle-loading rifles, and the bullet must be stuffed into the barrel before it can be fired. However, we use breech-loading rifles, and we don't need to turn the gun barrel at all. In this way, our firing rate will be much faster than the Russian army. As the saying goes, the only way to defeat martial arts is to be faster. On the battlefield, it is better to strike first. The so-called "strike first and win later" is bullshit. In war, the initiative is always the most important. We have already seized the initiative in firearms! The Russian army will definitely lose!"

Liu Ye shouted, "Come here, let the army rest for a day. Order all cavalry battalions to disperse and scout the enemy situation in the direction of Aichun and Vladivostok. You must do it quickly. I need to get all the Russian intelligence in a short time! Also, mobilize 50 cavalrymen to deploy along Chongjin towards Aichun. If you find anyone suspicious, eliminate them immediately!"