Dominate the Country

Grand Duke Constantine was in a very depressed mood. He locked himself in the house these days and didn't want to see anyone. Even the beautiful woman he loved the most in the past, the Grand Duke had no interest in him at all.

Alexander I was worried that he had ruined his second brother. Fortunately, Grand Duke Constantine's decadence did not reach the point of alcoholism, otherwise Grand Duke Constantine could not bear the blow given by His Majesty the Tsar. The news of his daily alcoholism and complete decadence would definitely cast a shadow on Alexander I's relatively good personal image.

Because of the unfavorable war, Grand Duke Constantine's position as the commander-in-chief of the Second Front of the Russian Eastern Front had been dismissed by Alexander I. The Tsar replaced him with Mikhail Andreich Miloradovich, the former deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Southern Front and commander of the Third Army, the Infantry General, to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Second Front of the Eastern Front.

But it was useless. No matter how smart Miloradovich was in war, if he didn't have enough troops and cannons, he would still be unable to make any progress in front of Chen Han's solid defense line.

In order to make up for the Russian army's disadvantage in the Kazakh region, Miloradovich even stopped the Russian army's operations in the North Caucasus.

After Platov fled with his defeated troops, it did not mean that Chen Han could control the North Caucasus. Moreover, Platov, who returned to Russia, was given the title of commander of the North Caucasus by Alexander I, and started a unified war of harassment, calling on local Russians, Chechens, Ingush and others to resist Chen Han's rule.

Now Miloradovich asked Platov, who was the commander, to take the "Russian army" he could control in the North Caucasus to Tsaritsyn, and then quickly reinforce the Astrakhan front, but it did not help at all!

On the contrary, the pressure on Chen Han's army in the North Caucasus was greatly reduced. Without Platov's disruption, Chen Han's control over the North Caucasus is increasing day by day.

Now Chen Han keeps sending troops to Astrakhan, and the Russian intelligence department has even received a military plan from Chen Han. They plan to continue to send four reorganized divisions to Astrakhan, and while eliminating Bagration, they also push back to Tsaritsyn. It can be said that they are ambitious.

Although the daily supply of ammunition, medicine, food, meat, etc. required at that point in the war is an astronomical figure, but now these are obviously not a problem for Chen Han.

The people of the seven khanates, especially those of the Torghut Khanate close to the battlefield, have begun to implement a two-meal system in order to save more food for the front line. It's simply a united effort.

On this day, the sky was covered with red clouds, and even the shadow of the sun could not be seen in the sky. The north wind was howling, and the cold winter wind blew on people's faces like a knife.

The Wehrmacht negotiation team rode on horses, holding high the red flag and approached the Russian position. The Russians hadn't completely lost their minds. Although the Russian soldiers in front of them were holding rifles and aiming at the negotiation team as if they were facing a great enemy, no one was stupid enough to open fire on the members of the negotiation team.

But such a scene also looked embarrassing. The negotiation team of the National Defense Army had a total of five people, led by one of the prince's attendants, Deng Yanzhen. And the Russian soldiers holding guns were more than ten times the number.

"What are you doing here?" asked a Russian captain.

"We are here to negotiate with you. I'm going to Tsaritsyn, I want to meet your Tsar."

The translator beside Deng Yanzhen was named Lin, with the given name Zexu, and was from Houguan, Fujian Province. These two people, as well as Tao Shu and others, were all young talents that Chen Ming personally assigned to Chen Ding recently.

These people were all famous figures in history. Although the times have changed, society has changed, their life experiences and resumes have changed, and even their thoughts, morals and world views may have changed. But the chances of these people becoming talents are still much greater than other "strangers".

Just like Chen Huacheng, Guan Tianpei, Yang Yuchun, Yang Fang and others in the army, these are people that Chen Ming still remembers. They are all famous generals in the history of the Qing Dynasty in the original time and space. After they caught Chen Ming's eye, they were favored by Chen Ming. While their official positions kept rising, their merits were also constantly increasing. It can be said that several people performed very well, and now they are the backbone of Chen Han's army.

Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, outsiders think that these guys are just too lucky and are favored by the emperor, but the fact is that they are very famous in the history of the original time and space, and now they have made a name for themselves among the masses. They can enter Chen Ming's eyes, which is more valuable for cultivation in Chen Ming's view.

Although doing so may hinder the progress of other people who are equally talented, or even more talented in military affairs, some unknown people in history, Chen Ming also feels that he can accept it.

Just because such people have a higher success rate.

For example, Dai Quheng and Dai Junyuan, uncle and nephew, and Cao Zhenyong in the court, Chen Ming would look at their names differently, and the facts have proved that these people do have their own strengths. Especially Cao Zhenyong, although his character is a little soft, but history says that he "kneeled more, talked less," and was a mediocre prime minister, this statement is too sarcastic.

Cao Zhenyong is indeed a soft character, not a good choice for the prime minister, he lacks decisiveness and courage, but as a helper, such as the boss of the emperor's attendant room, or the head of the cabinet office, as an assistant, he is still very qualified. Just like Berthier beside Napoleon.

Lin Zexu spoke authentic Russian, and he not only knew Russian, but was also very proficient in English and French. Chen Ming didn't know that Lin Zexu had such a talent.

"Of course, you can also not let me go. Then I will formally make a request to you here: His Majesty the Emperor of our dynasty has an order to sign the armistice agreement as soon as possible. The two countries have been at war for a long time, and the lives of the people have been devastated. In addition, your people have suffered. He has pity on you and asks your Tsar not to be ignorant of good and bad, and to sign the armistice agreement as soon as possible. The two countries will restore peace, and you can rest and recuperate."

"Our army hopes that your troops will withdraw to the position within ten days, and let the besieged Bagration troops surrender as soon as possible, and don't make mistakes. We promise to guarantee the safety of your officers and soldiers. Our army will not launch an attack within ten days. For your careful consideration."

As the translation continued, Deng Yanzhen felt that the face of the Russian captain in front of him became more and more ugly, and the faces of all the Russian soldiers became more and more ugly. As a rough and domineering Russian army, which is now obviously at a disadvantage, both officers and soldiers, nobles and civilians, felt deeply ashamed of such words.

But the person in front of him was the official representative of the Chinese. Although the captain wanted to shoot all five people in front of him, he did not dare to take all the responsibility. "Wait a moment, I will report to the higher authorities." After the captain finished speaking, he immediately called for people to treat Deng Yanzhen and others almost as a guard, and ran to the main position. This news needs the people above to make a decision, and it needs to be reported one level at a time.

Chen Ding was in Astrakhan at this time, very close to the two battlefields on the Volga River.

Although this "very close distance" is no different from a natural moat for the Russian army. The surrounded Bagration troops did not even have the courage to counterattack, and the Second Front's plan was only to rescue Bagration, rather than continue to break through the entire Wehrmacht line of defense and kill Astrakhan. The idea was simply non-existent.

The situation has developed to this point. Everyone knows that the Russians are already losers in this war.

Chen Ming also felt that it was time to end the Sino-Russian war.

If he waited until he completely eliminated Bagration and captured Tsaritsyn before negotiating, would the Russians have any bargaining power?

Unless Alexander I had the courage to turn the Don River Basin into a front line, the Russians could only negotiate now.

Chen Ding's mood at this time was the same as the high and empty night sky in the northwest. Vast and far-reaching, the spirit was in a mess. In another month or two, in another month or two, this war that had been prepared for many years could be declared over.

When Chen Ming's order was passed to the front, it brought enough intelligence to Chen Ding, some good and some bad. For example, the Ottomans in the west did not want to fight.

The reason was that Selim III died.

This was not a normal death, but a coup in Istanbul.

Since Austria joined the war, the pressure on the Ottomans has greatly increased. Selim III has been constantly dispatching troops. In recent years, the new army that has completely replaced the old Ottoman military system has been transferred to the front line in large numbers, and even the weak Janiseri Corps had to be transferred to the front line.

As a result, when the main force of the Janiseri Corps was marching through Istanbul, they joined forces with the great nobles inside to take Istanbul, and plundered and killed all those who supported the former Sultan Selim III. Selim III had only 5,000 guards around him. The main officers who led the troops were not very vigilant and were assassinated that night. Then, the guards of Topkapi Palace, without a unified command, were quickly defeated by the unexpected attack of the Janissary Corps. Selim III was killed in the chaos, and Mustafa, the son of Abdul Hamid I, became the 29th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Alemdar Mustafa Pasha, a reformist leader stationed on the Danube River, has launched an army to attack Istanbul to support the son of the former Sultan Selim III to succeed to the throne.

In this case, the Ottomans had no desire to continue fighting.

Now Chen Ding is very anxious about the response of the Russian army. After all, there is no information here. The Russians have to send the message to Alexander I in Tsaritsyn, and then fight back and forth. Ten days is also enough.

Of course, if the Russians are willing to let Deng Yanzhen and his men meet Alexander I, then it doesn't matter whether it takes ten days or not.

"Bang!"

A beautiful bone china cup was smashed on the floor, and the moment the bone china touched the wooden board, a pleasant crisp sound was made.

In New Astrakhan on the Volga River, in the headquarters of the First Front of the Russian Army on the Eastern Front, since the Second Front appeared, the part of the Russian army commanded by Bagration was automatically upgraded to the First Front. The tough-minded General Dmitri Sergeyevich Dokhturov roared angrily at Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, who had passed through two fronts of the Wehrmacht and arrived in the town of New Astrakhan: "Reject. Reject, reject!"

"Russia will never surrender. The Russian army will never surrender!"

"Go tell the Chinese. They don't have to wait ten days, they can attack now. I'm waiting for them!"

"There are no cowards in the brave Russia! There are no cowards!"

But Bagration, who was tougher and more ruthless than Dokhturov on the battlefield, was silent and sighed for a long time.