Flowers, Swords and France

"Lucien, you are finally here."

Although this call was soft and weak, the original reserve and calmness could be heard after all, which at least showed that the marshal's mind was still as clear as before.

"Yes, I'm here, Your Excellency Marshal." Lucien quickly put away his thoughts, stood up straight and gave a military salute.

"You don't have to be so formal." The old man slowly raised his body from the bed, leaned on the back of the bed, and then waved casually, motioning for him to come to him, "Please sit down."

"Yes!" Lucien still looked serious, but he followed the marshal's instructions and walked to the bed and sat down.

As soon as he walked to the bed, Lucien smelled a very strong smell of medicine, but he did not show any abnormality.

"As you can see, I am very weak now." As if he did not want to waste energy on red tape, Marshal Treville's words were straightforward, "So I don't have much time to deal with daily work now. This is very important to you senior officials." Officers have put forward higher demands, and I hope you can face the current pressure and maintain the morale of the army."

"This is what I am working hard for, Your Excellency. I have always hoped that I can set an example for my subordinates, and at least for now I can still perform my duties well." Lucien nodded quickly. Although he was suspected of boasting, he was It can prevent people from having similar feelings, "But... you also know that after the final Due to a series of recent misfortunes, our troops have suffered some undue losses. As a result, the originally high morale of the troops has become low. Even some officers have become anxious and uneasy... If it is not improved. , I’m afraid it will bring serious difficulties to our next battle.”

Although he said it very tactfully, the marshal immediately understood what he meant.

"This is normal, Lucien, our soldiers are all good, but they are not iron men, they are living people, with emotions and pain." The marshal sighed softly, "We are walking in the wind and snow in Russia. When they were trekking in Europe, they were even more desperate than they are now. When they were exhausted, many people would rather freeze to death than leave..."

Lucien knew very well that when people get older, they are very accustomed to reminiscing about the past, so although the marshal was a little off topic, he still listened quietly. Fortunately, the marshal's mind was still clear, so he immediately took back the topic, "However, This difficulty is only temporary. I have reported the difficulties we are facing to the country many times, and the country has been working hard to solve our difficulties. Now reinforcements will arrive in Crimea soon. Wait until the reinforcements arrive. After that, we can sort of resolve the current difficulties.”

Lucien nodded, but he was not cheered up by this. He had heard similar words several times, but the "reinforcements" had not come, and his heart had long since cooled down.

"As soon as reinforcements arrive, we will launch an attack. We must end this war as soon as possible and let as many people go back as possible." The marshal continued, while picking up his marshal's staff from the bedside and gently leaning on it. on the ground. "You should prepare to leave as soon as possible. This damn rain will stop eventually."

"Do we really want to attack Sevastopol directly? With all due respect, Marshal, our morale is a bit low now, and the supplies and equipment are not satisfactory, and the soldiers are also decimated due to disease..." Although Knowing that the marshal should not be overworked now, but because the matter was so important, Lucien couldn't help but ask, "That fortress is heavily fortified. If we attack in such a state, I'm afraid... we may not be able to succeed."

After a pause, he quickly explained, "Please don't misunderstand me. I am not afraid of fighting the enemy. I just don't want the soldiers to suffer unnecessary casualties, especially if such casualties cannot bring victory." avoid."

"No need to explain, Lucien, I know your courage." The marshal shook his head and said that he didn't care, "I have actually observed the situation in Sevastopol, and it is true that it is not easy to defeat, so I also I have no intention of attacking the fortress now. Now, I just want you to clear the Russian defenses around the fortress and surround it if possible."

Lucien understood that the marshal was tantamount to admitting that the attack on the fortress might be a long siege, and this was consistent with his judgment.

"Isolate it first, and then we will transport a batch of heavy artillery from China that can be used to bombard the fortress, and use artillery shells to slowly crack open the shell of the fortress - the British will probably do the same." Treville The marshal continued to explain to Lucien, "Before this , we just need to surround it and defeat the Russian reinforcements who want to rescue this fortress. Sevastopol will become a magnet for Russian troops, forcing them to do their best to come and fight us, saving us from having to fight again. Go on a long journey to find them.”

As the marshal thought, the Crimean Peninsula was the hub for the Russians to control the Black Sea, and the Sevastopol Fortress was the hub for controlling the peninsula. Whether it was military or political, the Tsar could never afford to lose it. It was a blow, so they would definitely try their best to come to the rescue, so the Russians could not retreat as they did in 1812. They could only come up and fight the allied forces.

This arrangement also convinced Lucien. He thought that the marshal still maintained a very clear mind.

"In addition, you must remember to let the British play a greater role - since the British are more active than us, they should naturally be happy to shed more blood." Marshal Treville smiled slightly, "Lucien, go and ask your men to prepare."

"Okay, I'll ask my men to prepare as soon as possible." Lucien agreed immediately, but hesitated. "However, our division commander is still recuperating, I'm afraid..."

As the brigade commander of the Second Division, his superior is General Michel Ney, Duke of Elchingen. After arriving in Gallipoli, he suddenly fell ill and was bedridden for a long time, so he could not rush back to the front to command his troops, which greatly affected the combat of the troops. Lucien knew that the next war might be more intense than before, so he tactfully advised the marshal, hoping that he could send a new division commander to lead everyone.

However, to his surprise, Marshal Treville gave a strange answer.

"General Ney is seriously ill. This is a great loss for us and has indeed brought you a lot of difficulties. Lucien, you two brigade commanders must unite and work hard to overcome the negative impact of his absence. I believe that when the doctors from the country come, he will recover soon. At that time, you can get rid of the current difficult situation."

Lucien was stunned.

He and the other brigade commander were at the same level. Although they had a good relationship, neither of them could command the other. It was okay in peacetime, but wouldn't it cause trouble in wartime? This is not a problem that can be solved by empty talk about unity. If everything goes well, it's fine, but God knows when the Duke of Elchingen will be able to recover. If he doesn't get well, will the current predicament continue?

If it weren't for the fact that he could see that the marshal was still sober, he would almost suspect that the marshal was confused and couldn't understand what he said.

Seemingly seeing the uneasiness and doubts in Lucien's heart, Marshal Treville smiled slightly. At this moment, the old man was calm and no longer looked weak before.

"Lucien, you are an excellent soldier, your service record has always been very good, you are brave and smart - in a word, you are good enough to be a general. But..."

Marshal Treville changed the subject, "It is easy to be a general, but to be a good general, it is not enough to just talk about military affairs, but also politics. The army is more harsh than the outside world to some extent, because everyone has seen life and death, so they are more unscrupulous than other people. In the world of the army, if a person does not have party members and backers, then he is nothing, no one will value him, and he can't do anything..."

Lucien lowered his eyes uneasily.

He knew that the marshal was telling the truth, but it was indeed a bit regrettable.

"So, a good general must take good care of his followers, because only in this way will the followers be loyal to him." Marshal Treville's tone was gentle and calm, as patient as a teacher treating his students. "In a sense, Duke Elchingen is such a follower of mine. Although he is seriously ill now, I cannot abandon him. I must keep this position for him."

"So that's it..." Lucien suddenly realized.

"If it were normal, I wouldn't have to be so obvious, but it's different now, because His Royal Highness will be here soon. He has a special status and leads the most elite Guards Corps. And you know him, he is an ambitious man who wants to expand his influence in the army... So I must guard against him affecting my command." Marshal Treville lowered his voice, "If I were in good health, this would not be a problem at all, but I'm not in good health now, so I have to use you to maintain my command power, so I can never give up on him, unless he is so unlucky that he is taken to heaven by the germs."

Lucien has understood everything. In the final analysis, the marshal is guarding against Prince Joseph Bonaparte who will come to the front line. Moreover, he also knows that the prince is ambitious and has always regarded himself as the heir to the throne of the empire. When he arrives at the front line, he will definitely win over senior officers and accumulate his own power in the army, which affects Marshal Treville.

So he would rather take the risk than change the general, insisting on keeping the Duke of Elchingen in the position of division commander.

He felt a little uncomfortable, because he knew that Marshal Treville's decision was tantamount to using his own interests to damage the interests of the army as a whole. He knew that it would cause damage to the troops, but he still insisted on doing so.

He never liked to play tricks with others, but even in the army, he could not get rid of this kind of interest entanglement, which was really uncomfortable.

However, he was also moved. He knew that the marshal told him such a secret thought, which was actually expressing his trust in him.

And he knew even more that he was now one of the "disciples" in the mouth of Marshal Treville. His personal future and even the interests of his family were already tied to this family. It can be said that they shared weal and woe, so he had no more choices.

"Well, I understand, sir." He stood up again and answered in a serious tone, "I will obey your orders and unite with my colleagues to overcome all difficulties. We sincerely hope that General Ney can return to the front as soon as possible and lead us to greater victory!"

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"Very good." The old man smiled and nodded, "Lucien, if it was possible, I would have wanted you to take over this division, but it's a pity... It's not possible yet. You can't directly become a general, but there's no need. Worry, as long as you continue like this, you will become a Become a general, and then... you can really stand out. However, this is both lucky and troublesome for you, because you are sometimes not good at dealing with complex situations. You should listen more in this regard. Your wife’s opinion, to be honest, she can be your guide.”

"I will, thank you for the reminder." Lucien thanked him sincerely.

He was indeed very grateful to God for giving him the opportunity to get to know Julie. Ever since he got married, he had been focused on nothing else. Apart from leading troops and studying military affairs, he only focused on being with his wife and children. Even today, when he has gradually become more prominent, I have never done anything to disgrace my wife. Among Julie's relatives and friends, they gradually forgot that this was an inappropriate marriage. Instead, they secretly envied Julie for choosing a good husband for herself.

And this is why Charles and Marshal Treville trust Lucien so much.

They all know that as long as Matilda is around, Julie will continue to have good relations with the Treville family; as long as Julie is around, Lucien Leflair will be a loyal friend of the family.

"Okay, I have already told you what I should tell you." Marshal Treville lay down on the bed again, then returned to his previous weak state, and waved his hand gently, "I have made specific arrangements for you to go Do it.”

"Okay, Your Excellency, Marshal." Lucien stood up from his seat again, respectfully gave a military salute to the Marshal, then turned around and strode out of the cabin.

Compared to just now, his pace is much more determined now. Although the objectively harsh conditions have not changed, at least he has understood everything and is no longer as confused as before.

After he left, the marshal closed his eyes and fell asleep on the bed.

Due to the action of the sea water, the cabin was shaking slightly, causing the bed to shake as well, which made the marshal feel even more tired.

Although he had only chatted with Lucien for less than an hour, he still felt exhausted and dizzy. He struggled to look out the window and found that the sky had turned dark.

It's almost time for dinner.

But he had no appetite at all, so he had to close his eyes again and start to rest.

Recently, his mind has been replaying his journey in the Russian wilderness many years ago. The hunger, thirst and suffering seem to be repeated again now. The only difference is that back then, he had endless energy and survived. But now...he no longer has that passion.

He fell into a drowsy sleep and suddenly dreamed of Paris, his wife and children.

They should be fine...

At this moment, he felt a hand gently caressing his face.

He opened his eyes slightly, and after the initial drowsiness, he was shocked to find a young woman with blond hair and blue eyes looking at him with tears in her eyes.

She was wearing a white dress and a white hat.

Is this a dream? He opened his eyes slightly.

"Grandpa!" He heard a cry with a cry, and then Fran hugged Grandpa's head directly.

"Silly boy." After the initial astonishment, Marshal Treville let out a long sigh, "What are you doing here to join in the fun?"