Volume 4: Hot! The whole world is a warring state Chapter 776 The So-called Falsehood and Reality
"Your Majesty, landing in Dhaka has many advantages. First, this is the mouth of the Ganges. From here, we can advance along the Ganges. The whole way is plain, which is not only convenient for attack, but also can rely on the Ganges to reduce logistical pressure. Second, if we occupy this place, I can threaten the Boris group blocking the Dongge Pass from the south wing and help Wenzhao break through as soon as possible. However, it is only mid-September now, and the rainy season near the Ganges Delta will not end for another month. Therefore, it is no problem for a small force to land here, but if a large force of more than 500,000 is sent to land at this time, it will be very difficult to deploy the troops at least before the end of the rainy season.
There are many advantages to landing in Calcutta. First, there is the Hooghly River that can directly connect to the Ganges, which can also reduce the logistical pressure. Second, the Ming Dynasty took this route to conquer the Mughals. Along the way, Asansol, Patna, Kanpur, Agna, Delhi, I am very familiar with them. If we march in this way, we almost don't need a guide. The problem is the same as that in Dhaka. The rainy season has not ended yet, the rivers are flooded, and it is not easy for the troops to deploy.
If we choose to land in Yanan, we don't have to worry about the rainy season. But this place is located in the south-central part of the Indian Peninsula. If our army successfully lands here, we will have to cross the Deccan Plateau sooner or later to enter the Ganges Plain, the core area of India. And in this way, our army is too far away from Cao Wenzhao's group or Sun Chuanting's group, making it difficult to form a joint force. "
"Yes, I understand. What does the Jinyiwei have to say?"
"Your Majesty." Xu Xianchun bowed and said, "The Jinyiwei has contacted the Confucianists sent by Yang Wenru and Zuo Yizhi who are still operating in India. According to the intelligence they provided, the Western bandits have built strong fortresses in Dhaka and Kolkata, which are heavily guarded. In addition, they have set up various obstacles in the main rivers and have artillery batteries along the way. However, there are not many troops in the Yanan area, and the defense system is not perfect."
"Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou are both in their seventies, right? It's rare that they have been able to hold on for so long. The Donglin Party still has strong men." After praising him, Zhu Youdong turned to Liu Zhaosun and asked, "What do you think of the army?"
"Your Majesty, our army has now assembled 1.52 million troops in Yangon. Not only is the daily consumption extremely alarming, but so many people gather together and do nothing all day long. Over time, the morale and health of the army will be very problematic. Therefore, I think we should land as soon as possible and not wait until the rainy season is over. After all, when the rainy season is over here, the mountains of Sun Chuanting and Man Gui will be closed by heavy snow, and the logistics will be cut off. As for the landing site, I think we should advance in two routes, one in Kolkata and the other in Dhaka. Although our army will definitely suffer heavy casualties in the case of the enemy's full defense and the flooding of the river, since your Majesty rebuilt Henghaiwei, our army has never been afraid of hard battles and bloody battles."
Looking at Liu Zhaosun's impassioned speech, Zhu Youdong smiled and shook his head: "I don't agree with this plan. My soldiers are indeed not afraid of sacrifice. In this war, many people are destined to sacrifice. But I can't let them sacrifice in vain."
"So what does the Emperor mean?"
"We should split the troops into two groups. One group will land in Yanam. It is one of the main ports in Andhra Pradesh. Let the Japanese and the Fuku people be the main force. If they go there, they will definitely fight to the death. The other group will go to Orissa, southwest of Kolkata."
"Your Majesty." Xu Xianchun stepped forward and said, "If we land in Orissa, our army will definitely make smooth progress in the early stage, because the enemy here has no regular troops except for some manor guards of nobles transferred from Western Europe. However, the terrain of this state is mainly plateaus and mountains. If our army wants to get out of here and go north to the Ganges Plain, it will take too much time. In this way, the enemy will have plenty of time to gather together."
"We need them to gather together. As military commanders, you should not only look at the problem from a tactical perspective, but also think from a strategic perspective."
Zhu Youdong simply stood up and walked to the map of India hanging on the wall of his office room: "You always want to land in Calcutta or Dhaka, just to join forces with Cao Wenzhao to annihilate the Boris Group, and then nearly two million troops will crush the whole way along the Ganges River and push to Delhi to win. Indeed, if everything goes well, this is indeed the most labor-saving way to take over India. This is also what our dynasty did when it conquered the Mughals.
However, the Western Bandits are not the Mughals after all. What we can see, others can't think of? Therefore, even if Yang and Zuo did not send me intelligence, I know that the Western Bandits must have deployed heavy troops in these two places. It's rainy season, the river is flooded, mosquitoes are rampant, the enemy has heavy troops to defend, and the defense system is complete. With such a disadvantage, why should we go head-on?
What if we land in Orissa? The enemy has no heavy troops here, and we will hardly encounter any resistance when we land. Yes, the terrain of this state is indeed mountainous and difficult to walk. But at the same time, it is difficult for the enemy's main force to break in. After we land here, we can slowly deploy more than one million troops. By this time, the main force of the Western bandits should be around, and we can rely on the geographical advantages here to fight a decisive battle with the enemy! As long as we annihilate the enemy's main force, no matter how far we are from Delhi at this time, won't India belong to us?
If the Western bandits don't attack, that would be great. I won't rush to attack, I'll spend a few months slowly building the road. When the road is built, this place is located in the middle of the east coast of the Indian Peninsula, and it is very convenient to go south, north, or west. I'll see where he will defend at that time."
"Your Majesty, this strategy is admirable. However, this will take a long time. I am worried that after October, the mountains will be blocked by heavy snow. What about Sun Boya's logistics?"
"I know you are very busy managing this army of more than one million every day, but you should still spend some time to pay attention to the progress of friendly forces. In my opinion, although there has not been any large-scale decisive battle in Central Asia, Sun Chuanting has fully mobilized the enemy and has taken advantage of it. A great victory is a matter of time. After he breaks through Central Asia, as soon as he enters Persia, the Ottomans will definitely do everything they can to transfer the main force blocking the Dongge Pass back. By then, Cao Wenzhao's army will be alive.
If Spain wanted to hold back the Ottoman ally and not withdraw its troops, it would have to draw elite troops from India to help the Ottomans defend Central Asia. Then, we would have an easy time. Strategy is to do everything possible to mobilize the enemy, rather than follow the enemy's ideas.
As for Sun Boya's logistics? Hahaha, you haven't been to America, so you don't know how powerful Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong are. I have learned from the telegram from Beijing that more than 90% of the supplies Sun Chuanting has requested from Xinjiang in the past one or two months are weapons and ammunition. Food? With Li and Zhang here, he won't be short of food. "
"We understand. Your Majesty is a master of strategy and has won victories thousands of miles away. We are in awe."
"Stop talking about useless things. The strategy has been decided. When can we land?"
"Your Majesty, the military personnel from the Imperial Astronomical Observatory said that in three days, the weather will be clear and the sea will be calm, which is suitable for landing."
"Then hurry up and make arrangements. I just changed the landing location. You should quickly discuss a new landing plan with the Royal Guards and the Navy."
"As you wish."
After waving his hand and asking most of the people to leave, Zhu Youdong left behind Liu Zhaosun and Xu Xianchun.
"What is Li Yangeng's current position?"
"Your Majesty, after the Imperial Guard informed me, I reinstated him into active service and raised his rank. He is now the colonel chief of staff of the 95th Division. The division commander is Xuzhou Jue, the third son of Duke Wei, and he knows Li Yangeng's true identity."
"Alas, this rank is still too low."
"That can't be helped, Your Majesty. Since you rebuilt the Henghai Guard, especially after you promulgated the military rank system, it is impossible to jump from the rank of colonel to general without great military merit. If you rashly give him the rank of major general, I'm afraid he himself will know that he has been exposed."
"That's true. Has he established a communication channel with India?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. When the Western bandits invaded Indochina, they briefly controlled Yangon for a period of time. The local Burmese were very cooperative with the Spanish attack because they hated our dynasty for taking their land and distributing it to the Mon people. After the Western bandits retreated, some Burmese still served them. Not long after Li Yangeng came to Yangon with the 95th Division, these Burmese contacted him."
"Very good. Send the landing site resolution we just agreed upon to the division chief of staff and let Li Yangeng know."
"Ah? Your Majesty, are you going to let this person know the real landing location?"
"That's right. Don't worry. If we don't give him some real information, how can he gain the trust of the Western bandits in the future and help us mislead them?"
Shortly thereafter, in Colombo, on the evening of September 18, in a luxuriously decorated, brightly lit room at the Spanish Naval Base.
"Name?"
"Zhu Yunyan"
"Position? Rank?"
"Captain of the Nanxiong, the Third Destroyer Squadron of the Ming Navy's Home Fleet, Lieutenant Commander."
"Wait a moment."
Between a man in white Spanish navy uniform and a man in blue and white Ming navy combat uniform, a man with a completely Han Chinese look but ridiculously wearing an Indian sari interrupted the translation and asked the man in Ming navy combat uniform, "Your surname is Zhu, and the last character of your character has a fire radical. Are you a royal family member?"
"No problem. We are descendants of the eleventh generation of the Liao king. Huh? I was just wondering why your Chinese is so good. Are you Han Chinese?"
"Well, I'm ashamed. After the court lost India, I stayed because my superiors stayed, so I had no choice but to stay."
"What's wrong? Sun, what are you talking about?"
"Mr. Garcia, this is Captain Zhu Yunyan. Although his rank is only a major, he is a member of the royal family of the Ming Dynasty."
"Oh, God, we have captured a royal family member. Sun, please tell him that I will give him the treatment that a royal prisoner deserves, as long as he cooperates."
"Captain Zhu, this is Count Garcia, the commander of the Spanish Navy's home fleet, Vice Admiral. He said... Of course I know that there are hundreds of thousands of royal family members in the Ming Dynasty, but they don't know. So, you don't have to reveal it, and you will be treated better this way."
"Yeah." Zhu Yunyan nodded indifferently and asked, "How does he want me to cooperate?"
"Sun, tell him I want to know what torpedo hit the Queen in the early hours of last night? What was its maximum speed, maximum range, and maximum depth?"
"The only thing on our Nanxiong is the white-headed torpedo with a maximum speed of eight knots and a maximum range of eight hundred meters. We don't know anything else."
"Sun, please tell him. If he doesn't cooperate, I'm sorry, even though he's a royal, I can only hand him over to the Intelligence Bureau. Those guys are not as polite as us navy guys."
"What? Threatening his father? Hahahaha~ Old Sun, don't be afraid, just tell him directly, we, the descendants of the Zhu family, as the royal family of the Ming Dynasty, are absolutely not afraid of any torture. Let them come as soon as possible, if I frown, I won't be able to enter the ancestral tomb after I die!"
As a vice admiral, Garcia certainly would not personally torture someone to extract a confession. But as the commander of the navy, he certainly wanted to know what torpedo destroyed the Queen in the early morning of the 17th. So, after asking for a long time without any results, he had no choice but to stand up and prepare to have someone invite the intelligence agency personnel over.
But at this moment, the door of the room was opened from the outside. Two intelligence officers wearing black uniforms and with epaulettes on only one side of their shoulders walked in: "Your Excellency Lieutenant General, His Majesty wants to see you."
