Chapter 65 The vacation is over
Joffre's office in Paris, France
There were several oil paintings depicting battlefield scenes hanging on the office walls, the desks were piled with battle reports and maps, and the air was filled with a strong smell of tobacco. Whenever the battle situation became unfavorable, Xiafei's office would become the focus of everyone.
"Is this what you call 'solving the half-breed'?" Xia Fei slammed the report in his hand onto the heavy oak desk, his voice filled with uncontrollable anger. His eyes were wide open, staring at the young man sitting opposite him, as if he wanted to eat him alive.
A blurry photo taken by a reconnaissance plane slipped from the report and landed lightly on the ground. In the photo, a man carrying a giant sword was slowly walking down the Dead Man Mountain. The surrounding open space was still filled with unextinguished flames. Although the photo was blurry, it still revealed the extremely dangerous aura emanating from the man.
"That hybrid is indeed stronger than we expected, but please rest assured, Commander-in-Chief Joffre, he will not live long." The young man bent down and gently picked up the photo on the ground. The playful look in his eyes disappeared without a trace, replaced by a cold chill.
"Now that the Hill of the Dead has fallen, the defense line of Verdun is in danger. The current military strength will definitely not be able to withstand the next Prussian attack!" Joffre continued to roar angrily, his voice trembling slightly with anxiety.
Every urgent battle report from the front made him anxious and anxious. If he was not careful, he would become the biggest sinner in French history.
The veins on Joffre's forehead throbbed, his fists clenched tightly on the table, his voice low and urgent, "When will the British attack on the Somme begin!"
In his view, the only way to save Verdun was for the British to launch an offensive on the Somme as soon as possible and divert the Prussian army's attention from Verdun.
The young man's face changed slightly, and he said solemnly: "The British army still has many soldiers in training. It may take until the end of July or the beginning of August for those new recruits to complete their training before they can launch an attack."
"August?" Xia Fei's eyes widened suddenly, and he was so angry that he almost rushed across the table to question the other party.
"By August, the Prussian flag may be raised in Paris! We must launch the attack before July! If France loses this war, do you think Britain alone can defeat Prussia? If Prussia wins the victory completely, do you think your plan can still be realized? When Prussia becomes stronger, you will be the next target!"
Joffre's voice echoed in the spacious office. Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting the young man's heart. He no longer cared about the other party's identity and status. He now only wanted to save the war situation that was on the verge of collapse. Verdun must be saved. Nothing else mattered.
The young man's face became increasingly gloomy, because what Joffre said was right. Prussia was a country that was extremely difficult to control. Although the Presbyterian Church had controlled the economic lifeline of Prussia as much as possible, as long as Prussia recovered a little, they would try to get rid of the control of the Presbyterian Church. From the unification of Prussia in the Bismarck era to the later formation of the Secret Party, all this showed Prussia's rebellious spirit.
The fundamental cause of this war was that Prussia was dissatisfied with the Presbyterian Church's control over its economy. The Presbyterian Church shifted the conflict by propaganda in Prussia that France and Britain had divided up most of the world's interests, making it impossible for Prussia to become stronger, thus directing their anger at these two countries. The Presbyterian Church's plan was to weaken Prussia through this war and ultimately take complete control of the country.
"We will let the British army launch an attack as soon as possible. General Joffre, please rest assured that France will not lose this war." The young man tried his best to make his voice full of confidence. He wanted to dispel Joffre's doubts in this way.
…………
Falkenhayn's office, Prussia
In Prussia, Falkenhayn's office was also plunged into a tense atmosphere. The heavy curtains were half-closed and the light inside was dim, as if even the sunlight could not penetrate this solemn atmosphere.
Falkenhayn sat at his desk, his hands clasped together and his brows furrowed, obviously troubled by the current situation.
"I heard that the British army will attack the Somme River soon. I will let my soldiers capture Verdun as soon as possible before the British attack." Faginhan's tone was firm, but the worry between his brows was hard to conceal.
The battle of Verdun was more brutal than he had expected, and the losses far exceeded his estimates, but now that the biggest obstacle to Verdun had been removed, he still had a chance of winning the war.
The young man opposite had a playful smile on his face. He had just been in Joffre's office, and now he rushed to Falkenhayn's office to talk to him.
At this moment, he had completely regained his nonchalant demeanor, as if the anxiety and anger he had just felt in Xiafei's office had never existed.
"General, don't forget that the killing field plan we agreed upon earlier has not been successful." The young man's voice was relaxed and somewhat cynical, as if he was talking about something insignificant.
Falkenhayn's face suddenly turned ugly when he heard the young man's words. He stood up suddenly, slammed his hands on the table, and roared angrily: "I have dragged most of the French army into Verdun and caused huge casualties to them. Is this not enough? If the British launch an attack on the Somme River, Prussia may lose this war! Do you remember what you promised before? Prussia will win this war!"
The young man still maintained his disdainful expression, totally ignoring Falkenhayn's anger.
He smiled slightly and said calmly, "General, don't be angry. The British will not launch an attack on the Somme so soon. We have already sent people to kill Kitchener. I believe there will be news soon. By then, the morale of the British troops on the Somme front will surely drop sharply, and the attack time will be delayed or even cancelled."
When Falkenhayn heard this, his expression eased a little, but he still stared at the young man, as if he still doubted his promise.
The young man continued, "What you have to do now is to wait for more French troops to gather in Verdun, and then take them all down in one fell swoop. By then, the Somme offensive will be canceled due to the fall of Verdun."
His voice was full of confidence, and this confidence seemed like an invisible force that gradually influenced Falkenham.
Falkenhayn finally sat back in his chair and began to weigh the credibility of these words in his mind.
The young man stood up with a faint smile in his tone: "General, when the news of Kitchener's death comes, you will know whether what I said is true. Our promise is still valid and Prussia will win this war." After that, he turned and left the office.
Falkenhayn pondered for a long time, still wondering whether to believe the young man's words.
A moment later, Falkenhayn's adjutant hurriedly opened the door of the office and shouted nervously: "General, Kitchener recently visited Tsarist Russia on the cruiser 'Hampshire', but encountered a mine on the way, the cruiser sank, and Kitchener was drowned on the spot!"
When Falkenham heard the news, his pupils suddenly contracted. He was not only shocked that what the young man said came true, but he was also disturbed by the easy death of a senior British military officer. He vaguely felt that this might be a way for the Elders to deliberately show their strength to him.
"There is one more thing. The British army has begun to accumulate a large number of troops on the Somme River and may launch an attack at any time. Should we make preparations?" the adjutant continued, with obvious anxiety in his tone.
He knew that once the British army launched a large-scale attack on the Somme, Verdun's strategic deployment would face tremendous pressure. If it was not dealt with in time, the consequences would be disastrous. Falkenhayn frowned and thought, feeling uneasy and doubtful. Kitchener's death would indeed have a blow to the morale of the British army on the Somme front, but the possibility of canceling the entire offensive plan was very small. However, the young man's words and the current situation made him unable to ignore this possibility.
In the end, Falkenhayn decided to act according to the plan suggested by the young man. He raised his head and said to his adjutant in a firm tone: "No, now that Kitchener is dead, the British army will not launch an attack so soon, and may even cancel the attack. Our most important task now is to capture Verdun as soon as possible. This is the key to victory or defeat."
Upon hearing this, the adjutant's eyes flashed with confusion and worry. He wondered if his commander had been driven crazy by the pressure of war.
After all, the preparations for the Battle of the Somme had been going on for months, and the scale and investment were so huge that they could not be easily abandoned just because of the death of one person. But he was only an adjutant after all, and no matter what doubts he had in his heart, he could only respectfully withdraw without saying anything more.
………………
"Have a cigarette." Lu Mingfei turned his head slightly and stretched out his hand to Hill beside him. Hill immediately understood what he meant, and hurriedly took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it with a lighter, and placed the cigarette between Lu Mingfei's two fingers.
Lu Mingfei took a deep breath, feeling the scent of tobacco spreading in his lungs. He squinted his eyes, looking at the lush trees around him, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.
After the Kaczynski family boarded the ship to the United States, Lu Mingfei and his family took a train back to the sanatorium in the forests and mountains of Alsace in France to recuperate. The scenery there is very beautiful, and there is also high-quality wine to enjoy.
Many soldiers who were evacuated from the Verdun front also rested here. They were reluctant to go home not only because of the friendship between their comrades,
Moreover, when they return, their families will not understand what they have experienced in Verdun. Their families will only complain to them that the food supplies are less today.
"Paul and the others should arrive today, right?" Lu Mingfei asked while smoking.
"It should be today," Hill replied.
Lu Mingfei and his companions were here not only to rest but also because they would gather here after their vacation and then be sent to other areas.
"Hans!" As soon as he mentioned the enemy, Paul and Kropp appeared in front of Lu Mingfei with bags on their backs, and they were followed by a large group of young soldiers. These soldiers had just joined the army and were assigned to Lu Mingfei's command.
Lu Mingfei's military rank was promoted to lieutenant, and the number of people under his command was expanded to a company. Hill, Paul, Kropp, and other veterans who had always followed Lu Mingfei were also promoted in rank.
"How does it feel to be home?" Lu Mingfei asked with a smile, a bit of concern in his heart.
Paul and Kropp looked at each other, the excitement on their faces gradually faded, replaced by a bitter smile.
"Not very good... My mother is sick, but there's no way she can get treatment. The food at home is terrible, with no nutrition at all. Coffee has been replaced with a disgusting substitute made from acorns. Bread is limited to two pounds a week, the same black bread we ate in the trenches, dark, sour and hard." Paul's voice was filled with helplessness and loss. All his expectations were shattered by reality.
Kropp also sighed and said with a wry smile, "In order to make more shells, the government began to requisition civilian metals. The iron railings near my home were pulled out, and the roof hangings of many houses were also removed and sent to the steel mill."
Lu Mingfei listened to their stories in silence, with an indescribable feeling of sadness welling up in his heart.
After a long time, Lu Mingfei finally spoke in a low voice: "Paul, have you seen Kemmerich's mother?"
Paul couldn't even keep up his bitter smile. His eyes dimmed. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "I saw it. I told her that Kemmerich was shot in the heart on the battlefield and died without any pain."
"Really..." Lu Mingfei murmured to himself, with a complicated look in his eyes. He knew that Paul was comforting the mother, and Kemmerich's real death was far more cruel than he said.
A suffocating silence followed.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore." Klopp suddenly broke the silence, unwilling to let this atmosphere continue to spread.
"You know, Kantorek was drafted into the army and is now in boot camp. I saw him when I got home."
"Kantolek?" Lu Mingfei was stunned when he heard the name. It was because of this bald guy that he joined the army.
"You deserve it." Paul sneered and spat, obviously having no good feelings towards Kantorek.
"How many people in our class are still alive?" Lu Mingfei recalled that there seemed to be more than 20 people in their class who went to the battlefield together. Now nearly a year has passed, and he wondered how the others are doing.
"Kemmerich is dead, Martens has lost his legs, Meyer is dead, Max is dead, Bayer is dead, Kaios is dead, Wolf has lost a hand..." Kropp said the names one by one. In the end, only three of them were still intact out of the more than 20 people in their class.
Then there was deathly silence again, but it was soon broken because Lu Mingfei and his men received orders to go to other areas to participate in the war.
When Lu Mingfei heard where they were going, he almost rushed to the headquarters in Verdun with a knife and hacked Crown Prince William to death.
The place they are going to is
The Somme hell.
(End of this chapter)
