Chapter 481: Chapter 475: Fortification of the Fort Cluster
"What I’ve told you, do not share with others!"
Prince Paskevich sat on the bed, holding Mikhail Gorchakov’s hand as he spoke earnestly.
"But Commander, continuing to feign illness isn’t a solution! His Majesty the Tsar will eventually reprimand you for this!" General Gorchakov whispered into Prince Paskevich’s ear, "I once heard a rumor that His Majesty the Tsar has secretly installed his Third Hall within various units to keep track of military affairs!"
"This is no secret!" Prince Paskevich seemed to have known about it long ago, responding calmly, "We just think His Majesty the Tsar is unaware that Count Orlov, whom he trusts, has already informed us of this!"
Hearing Prince Paskevich’s words, Gorchakov felt his heart struck like a rock battered by overwhelming waves, "Then why do you still..."
"I do not wish to engage in these meaningless actions!" Paskevich said sincerely to Gorchakov, "What the Russian Empire needs now is reform, not aimless expansion here!"
Then, Paskevich responded to Gorchakov with a carefree tone, "To be frank, I might completely lose the Tsar’s favor because of this matter! But so what, I am already 71 years old, how much longer can I live! (Paskevich extended his hand and patted Gorchakov’s shoulder) You are different, you can continue on! I hope, after I am dismissed by His Majesty the Tsar, you can treat your soldiers well! Do not let them make needless sacrifices!"
At this point, Prince Paskevich sighed, and General Gorchakov, sitting beside him, also remained silent.
It seemed as though time and space had completely frozen at that moment. After a long silence, Prince Paskevich spoke again, "I’m truly sorry for making you waste your time listening to the complaints of an old man who is on his deathbed!"
"Please don’t say that!" General Gorchakov hurriedly responded to Prince Paskevich.
Subsequently, Paskevich inquired about the situation at Ruse Fortress from Gorchakov.
Gorchakov reported the siege situation at Ruse Fortress to Paskevich. Since Prince Paskevich decided to divide the troops for the attack, General Gorchakov, who had nearly half of the main force, ignored Prince Paskevich’s orders and focused on Ruse Fortress. Over the course of almost several months, the Russians launched nearly a hundred attacks on Ruse Fortress, and there were several occasions where they nearly breached the cluster of forts at Ruse Fortress.
However, the Turkish army stationed at Ruse Fortress, with unyielding spirit, pushed back the Russian forces. Gorchakov immediately realized that this Ruse Fortress was different from the one over a decade ago; it was specifically built to counter the Russian Empire, with trenches and mines being the nemesis of the Russian Empire.
In the end, Gorchakov had to choose to halt the attacks, while simultaneously ordering the Serbian militia (troops of Serbs bringing their own rations) to attack Ruse Fortress in hopes of weakening their potential.
After several brutal and bloody confrontations, even the Serbian militia was unwilling to continue serving under Gorchakov, as they began to suspect that General Gorchakov was intentionally depleting their strength.
After winter, with temperatures plummeting, his soldiers were even more unwilling to attack, leaving him to sit waiting like Prince Paskevich.
"Alas! Difficult to attack! Dare not attack!" Prince Paskevich shook his head with a bitter smile, "We are only facing the Turkish army, and yet it has come to this! If we were to face the Anglo-French Army, we might be utterly defeated!"
"Commander, besides making a special visit to you, I also came to request that the corps stationed in the northwest be transferred to my command! This way, I can have more troops to break through Ruse!"
"And what would breaking through Ruse achieve?" Paskevich retorted.
"We could then proceed via Rouen to support Serbia!" Gorchakov replied to Paskevich.
"And what about the Austrian army in Transylvania?" Paskevich inquired further.
"Well... Recently, the Austrian Empire has been relatively submissive to our country! They shouldn’t declare war on us anytime soon, right?" Gorchakov responded with uncertainty.
"Once you break through Ruse, the Austrian Empire will surely take action against us!" Prince Paskevich responded with certainty.
"But my army can’t just stay there doing nothing, can it?" General Gorchakov responded to Prince Paskevich.
"Alright then! Bring your army over, and we’ll consolidate them!" Paskevich replied to Gorchakov.
"What about the Turkish troops at Ruse Fortress? Is it really okay to just leave them be?" Gorchakov asked Paskevich with some uncertainty in his tone.
"Don’t worry, I know them! They definitely won’t dare to pursue!" Prince Paskevich confidently replied.
General Gorchakov followed Paskevich’s orders and set out that night from the Russian Imperial army camps around Silistra Fortress, quickly arriving near Rouen Fortress, where he announced Prince Paskevich’s latest orders to the Russian troops stationed there.
Except for a few Serbian militia commanders who opposed, everyone present expressed compliance with Gorchakov’s orders.
Subsequently, General Gorchakov told these militia officers. If they were unwilling to follow the Russian Imperial Army, then they were requested to leave the Russian Imperial Army immediately.
"This is betrayal!"
The furious Serbian militia officer accused Gorchakov with trembling arms.
"If you wish to think so, there’s nothing I can do! Because this is an order from Prince Paskevich, and I must comply!" Gorchakov responded calmly to the Serbian militia officer.
The next day at 6:30 in the morning, when a hazy fog still lingered over the Danube River in front of Rouen Fortress, the Russian Imperial Army, having packed up, began heading towards the Silistra Fortress.
Accompanying their retreat were the Serbs near Rouen Fortress, who had formed deep-seated hatred with the Turks of Ruse; staying any longer would only result in slaughter by the Turks.
Regarding the matter of killing prisoners, the "civilized" Turks still maintain a brutal style, any who dare to resist them face the harshest punishment, massacring entire villages has become commonplace.
Around ten in the morning, the Turks stationed at Rouen Fortress discovered the Russian tents across the river seemed empty, and they promptly sent a small unit to investigate.
It wasn’t long before this small team, who had gone to observe, reported back to Rouen Fortress about the departure of the Russian Imperial Army.
In an instant, the entire fortress erupted in jubilation, amidst the celebration, the Pasha stationed at this fortress did not forget to report this news to Constantinople, seeking commendation from Constantinople.
Of course, during the report, one cannot write the Russian Army departed naturally, instead, it must be written that under Pasha’s leadership, the Russian Imperial Army was intimidated and thus dared not engage the Turkish Army.
As for whether the forces besieging Ruse Fortress would proceed towards Silistra, it was of no concern to him.
After all, Silistra was not his territory.
...
Gorchakov’s troops endured several hours of long and arduous trek, finally reaching Silistra at the cost of five dead and twelve wounded.
Such losses were commonplace in the Russian Imperial Army, no one cared about the mortality of grey wounds, at times a serf soldier’s value was far less than that of an intact rifle.
Since Gorchakov abandoned the camp, heading towards the vicinity of Silistra Fortress, they could only use the materials at hand to re-establish the camp on-site.
A day went by, and an unexpected event occurred.
A person claiming to be the Tsar’s Envoy entered Paskevich’s tent and announced Nicholas I’s orders to Prince Paskevich.
The order was for Prince Paskevich to lead the Danube forces and defeat Silistra’s garrison thoroughly within the shortest time, thus paving the way for a decisive battle with the Anglo-French Alliance Army!
After delivering the command, the Tsar’s Envoy repeatedly emphasized it must be completed within the recent timeframe, as His Majesty the Tsar’s patience was wearing thin!
Unexpectedly, the Tsar was acting much more swiftly than usual, causing Paskevich to sigh deeply.
He knew this might be his last offensive, once this attack was over.
If he failed to break through Silistra Fortress, he would face retirement or dismissal.
"Please allow me some time to prepare!" Paskevich responded to the Tsar’s Envoy.
The Tsar’s Envoy nodded, then added a sentence: "Make it quick!"
In these few brief days, Paskevich ordered all units to transport all artillery (6-pounder cannons, field guns) to the islands occupied by the Russian Army in the river, while Paskevich also relocated his command post to the frontline.
Omar Pasha within Silistra Fortress, upon witnessing Paskevich’s formidable deployment, immediately realized that Prince Paskevich intended to launch a general attack. He hurriedly ordered the troop inside "Tabia" Fort to expedite the construction of fortifications, while dispatching small units at night to harass the Russian Empire, preventing them from working smoothly.
On the first night, gunfire rang from the Russian Empire’s camp, followed immediately by the sound of mutual slaughter, after which the battle gradually subsided, allowing the Turkish troops to retreat smoothly back into the fortress under the cover of night.