Nine Songs of Anti-Japanese War

In the early morning of July 1943, 7, in the Mediterranean Sea, east of the island of Malta.

Under the thick curtain of night, the strong wind was galloping unscrupulously on the ocean surface, setting off waves of vicious waves. The "Invincible" aircraft carrier was surrounded by many battleships in the center, and stood still in the stormy waves, like a general who was alone in the chaos.The general hibernates in the darkness, his eyes only look at the result he is determined to win, and the howling of the wind and waves cannot shake him at all.

When London stepped into the command tower, one of the two people who greeted him was an appointment with him, and the other was unexpected.

"Washington... when did you come?"

Washington took off the headset connected to the control panel, stood up unhurriedly, and greeted him: "A week ago, when the troops were about to set off from North Africa. Anyway, I am also the leader of a country. Ottawa is here for important events, so I don’t want to be absent.”

The Canadian capital around him did not make a direct statement, and saluted London with a standard military salute.

London sat down on the swivel chair and folded his arms towards the two of them: "Then you should also inform first. Ottawa you too, you know and still keep me in the dark?"

Ottawa seemed to want to explain something, Washington gestured at him, and said with a smile: "I just want to give you a surprise, and it's not too late. Speaking of sudden, you came to the 'Invincible' by helicopter overnight, right? The weather It’s so bad, wouldn’t it be difficult for the officers and soldiers to help you board the ship?”

"It wasn't sudden. Everyone above the non-commissioned officers knew that I was coming. And the weather wasn't so bad when I boarded the ship five hours ago."

"Oh." Washington showed a slightly discouraged look: "Let's stop here-it's my fault, okay?"

"Don't look like I wronged you, you just did it wrong." London raised his eyebrows, and slowly let go of his arms, "Forgive you this time. You two should be familiar with the deployment of this battle, right? To be clear, to say it early."

Ottawa said: "No, the plan is clearly written, and this weather will not affect the implementation. However, can it really be guaranteed that the German and Italian troops have not guessed our true intentions? What if they pretend to be in the trap, but are actually in Sicily? What should we do if we deploy a large number of defenders on the island?"

"To be exact, they didn't fall for it completely. The reconnaissance plane found a certain number of new troops on the island. The enemy commander must have thought about the possibility of landing in Sicily." When it came to business, London immediately returned to the firm and With a stern tone, there is an unstoppable self-confidence in the stern tone. "But they are also worried about an attack on the Greek side. This ambiguity is the reason for our confidence. We have enough troops. As long as the enemy disperses the garrison, we can break through. The rest is to occupy Sicily before the enemy turns his sword. , when the time comes, their situation will be over, and they will only be hopeless."

Ottawa nodded while listening to his explanation. "I came from Scotland not long ago, and I don't know much about the situation of the Allied forces here..." [Note 1] His sea-blue gentle eyes shone with complete trust, "With London's affirmation, we can rest assured."

"Of course. But don't always count on me, you have to learn to fight modern warfare alone."

Judging by Ottawa's expression, Washington guessed that he was wondering where a Commonwealth of Canada country should go to fight its own war. London probably also realized this, and changed the subject: "The action will start in two hours, and the gossip will not be talked about." .First clarify our short-term goal: capture Sicily, control several important towns such as Palermo, Syracuse, and Messina, and try to use peaceful means to get them to side with us. I originally wanted to bring Go to persuade with Ottawa, Washington, since you are here, will you stay with me to the end?"

Although it is a question, London's tone does not allow room for denial. "That's what I intend," Washington said, "to build on that, if possible."

"for example?"

"For example, put more pressure on the Mussolini government. The Italian people are not very willing to join the war. This year, the situation in the Axis countries is not good, and there have been many discords between Germany and Italy. The Germans said verbally It sounds nice, and they don't treat them as equal allies at all... All of this, and if we just work hard enough, a military defeat could be the last straw that crushes their current government."

"That's the situation, but how do you implement it?"

"Compared to your good use of intelligence warfare, this time we can play a straight ball. After winning the city representatives to Sicily, let them put pressure on Rome. Once Rome is persuaded, Mussolini's drama is almost over .As soon as he finishes singing, Italy's role in this war disappears."

"Then change the world... It's not impossible." London thought about it, resting his chin on the back of his hand, "However, this must be based on the rapid military victory of the Allied forces. If it is delayed for a long time, there will be no psychological deterrent. Must Take Sicily in a month, at most a month and a half..."

Ottawa interjected: "The Allies can do it. Since there is no plan to land in France this year, and the elite troops have been concentrated here, you also think that the preparations are complete, right?"

"That's right. The Soviet Union has completed its mission, and we can't make mistakes at the beginning of the counterattack. Last year, when Manchester sent me the decision not to open a second front for the past two years, Moscow was said to be very angry... I don't know him How did you convince the Russian guy?" London put down his hands, and looked back at the two blond young men, "I don't want to praise them too much, but they did fight with their lives on the Eastern Front, so we won't fight head-on at this point. , I'll be fooling around for nothing..." He paused for a while, then added, "This is also to get that woman back to our side as soon as possible."

The last sentence that popped out left Ottawa a little at a loss.Washington smiled knowingly, took two steps forward, and stroked London's slightly tense shoulders with his hand: "The intelligence department said that there have been many changes in France recently, especially near the capital."

"I've heard that too. She regained her energy and jumped up again. She will never sit still..."

London's voice gradually lowered and dissipated in the meaningful self-talk.He lowered his head silently, and pulled Washington's arm, and the latter also took advantage of the momentum to embrace him.Ottawa saw that the two of them were looking out of the porthole, and following them, it was clear that it was pitch black, frozen deep sea, and all the lights on the ship were turned off, only the slight turbulence of the ship and the faint roar of the wind reminded them of the time is still passing.

The darkness before dawn is the longest, and the silence before the battle is the most difficult.

They said nothing after that.Until 2:[-] in the morning, everything was ready, London came to the console, cleared his throat, and turned on the communication equipment.

Washington and Ottawa stood behind him in military posture.

"In the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the chief representative of the Allied Forces, I, London, hereby declare that the 'Husky' operation plan has officially begun." He said clearly, "The 82nd U.S. Airborne Division, British 1st Airborne Division, attack!"

"... This concludes the review of the Battle of Western Hubei. The level of this battle is as expected. It is not bad, and it is definitely not good. Intelligence shows that the Japanese army is currently focusing on dealing with the US military in the Pacific Ocean. Restrictions, there should be no large-scale battles in the short term, and the confessions of the prisoners also support this judgment, everyone should take the time to rest and prepare for the war....Okay, let's end the meeting."

After Chongqing finished speaking, he tucked his trouser pockets halfway into the chair ring, and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

In terms of solar terms, the beginning of autumn has passed, and at the end of summer, the vast southwest region is still shrouded in heat.The rain continued for several days, bringing a little bit of coolness. At noon, the clouds parted and the sun lazily shone, and the heat wave returned to the earth with the wet water vapor.Although there are ceiling fans in the conference room, they can't take care of everyone, and the participants didn't have a leisurely time. After exchanging a few gossips, they got up one after another, and went back to each room to find ice cubes and drink herbal tea.

"Didn't see Chengdu this time."

Chongqing looked up while arranging documents, and saw Changsha leaning against the table, also looking loose from the heat, with his neckline unbuttoned, and the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up above his elbows.

"I sent him to discuss with the Americans a plan to counterattack Burma." He told Changsha, "The commissioner and Stilwell had a quarrel, and I wondered if the two had feuds in their previous lives. Chengdu's temper can help Take it easy."

"Counterattack Burma?" Changsha's eyes lit up, "When are you going to send troops?"

"It's early, it's just an assumption, it's subject to change at any time."

"Oh." Seeing Chongqing's puzzled look, Changsha explained: "I always feel that my war zone is still uneasy, and the devils will turn around and come back when they rise up. I hope that life will not be in conflict with the counterattack... For some reason, I feel upset when I think about it. .”

"You won a big victory last time, and the Americans all praised you by name, are you afraid?"

"It's not that I'm afraid..." Changsha shook his head and tossed his sweaty forehead hair aside, "The devil is still the same devil. But I'm wondering if I have the ability to survive the fourth time. People are very strange, but seeing you I got through the bad luck and managed to get through it. I thought it was amazing; the second time I got through it, I gave a thumbs up; the third time I got through it, I applauded, and then I thought it was natural and there was no difficulty. But I was conscious... "

"perception?"

"My strength. It is depleted too fast, and I can't replenish it. Judging by the posture of the officials and gentlemen in the city, I feel very comfortable. I used to only care about myself, but now the international situation is a little bit better. I don't know how to take it as my credit. They are squandering money that they don’t know where they came from, and they don’t take the War of Resistance seriously anymore. How can they be confident?”

"...In the yamen, there are too many moths in front of your eyes." Chongqing took a deep breath, the air was also hot, causing a feeling of suffocation in the chest, "The chronic disease is hard to change."

He paused briefly.The ceiling fan squeaked and whirled, only to bring in a few gusts of wind, only to be forced away by the heat wave.

"I didn't understand Nanjing back then. It was not afraid to offend so many people with such ruthless methods. Why didn't it take any action on internal problems. When it comes to myself, I really have nowhere to start."

"Um……"

Changsha expressed his understanding of his words with silence.

Neither of them was a taciturn character, but the dull atmosphere created by the weather made no one eager to answer.After a long time, Changsha said: "You have been with the capital forever, and the law is written in black and white. One day, we will win - I hope that day will not come too late - you and Nanjing will join hands to deal with these chronic diseases Is it?"

"I am willing. I can survive the war, and this is what I should do. That is—" Compared with such unpleasant things, the party from top to bottom is obviously more keen to eliminate their external appearance. The "enemy".

Changsha obviously understands all kinds of troubles, and he doesn't want to add unnecessary pressure to him: "At this time, after Xiao Xiang wins, is it too extravagant?" He laughed twice and left the table, "Anyway, I will go to prepare A battle. How about you, do you have any important plans for the second half of the year?"

"The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom is scheduled to be held in Moscow, and Chinese representatives are invited to attend. Chongqing is expected to pass. [Note 2] I don't know the exact time yet, it must be before winter, but it's not far away..."

Nanjing murmured, circled the autumn months, and drew a question mark with a red pen.

After the meeting was over, Peiping went to sit in the Nanjing room before dinner as usual, and when he saw him still busy in front of the schedule, he smiled and said, "I've only been back to China for two days, are you worrying again?"

"There will be a lot of international conferences in the second half of the year. I will organize them in advance so that Chongqing can save some time."

"But you don't have to do it now."

Nanjing gave him a thankful look, still drawing circles on his hand.When Pei Ping saw him, he stopped trying to persuade him. After all, the relationship between the two of them was not good enough to repeat the same sentence twice.After a while, he said: "...do you think he owes Chongqing?"

"A little bit. Throw him a mess inside and out, but I myself..." Nanjing put down his pen, shrugged his shoulders, and turned his face, "Not completely, I'm still for myself. The United States It's over, it's uncomfortable to be idle, and it's good to be busy, so as not to think about it."

"They..." Although Nanjing just said it casually, Beiping has become inexplicably sensitive recently, and asked, "Why, have the Americans made things difficult for you?"

"No. Not only did I greatly appreciate Madam's lecture tour, but I was dazzled by signing one aid agreement after another. Of course, this is not without a price, but depending on Washington's attitude, he will ask for it after the war... …They were generous enough, to be honest.”

As one of the great powers of the year, the United States is indeed relatively gentle. It is not so blatant to ask for benefits. It likes to play the role of peace in many countries, and occasionally it will show a little heroism.According to Beiping's experience in previous years, he should agree with Nanjing's words, but for various reasons, he did not continue what the other party said, but said: "You are also thinking about post-war."

"The international situation is getting better. Think about it as self-motivation. The Japanese army has turned to the defensive in the Pacific; Africa is already under the control of the Allied forces; Sicily has also been conquered, and Italy is almost finished. Although it has little to do with us , Losing an enemy ally is not a bad thing. The momentum of the German army is not as good as it is, and the Soviet army was in Chur in the first half of the year... um..."

Peiping reminded him: "We won the tank battle in Kursk. The German army lost a large number of elite tank troops but failed to take this land. I am afraid that the road ahead will become more and more difficult."

"Well. God's will is tilting towards the Soviet Union. No..." Nanjing said with emotion, "Compared with God's will, it is more like the Soviet Union tried its best to force it past—I think two years ago, most of the people here No one believed that they could hold on. Even after Moscow stopped the invasion, there were still many pessimistic ones. On the other hand, in Peiping, you have been very reassured about them?"

"It's not 'always'."

"Well, specifically after your visit? Although you didn't say much good things about the Maozi, you were very calm when it came to topics related to their victory or defeat."

Beiping turned to Nanjing with a puzzled face, and blinked twice.He is very good at pretending to be innocent: "...Can I lose my temper on other topics?"

"Of course it doesn't mean that." Nanjing burst out laughing, "You just need to understand what I mean. Originally, I was very annoyed when I found out that Chongqing let you go without permission. I talked to him for a long time, and I almost missed it quarreled.

Peiping remembered the situation that day very much, although he learned about it from Xi'an afterwards. "Now?" Pei Ping said, "Aren't you angry with him?"

"...how am I qualified to be angry with him?" Nanjing smiled wryly, "The incarnation of Wang Puppet's capital, shrunk down on other people's territory, and taught outsiders not to laugh at him. It's really unnecessary to think about it carefully. Or don't go, and it won't make you lose a piece of meat."

Peiping heard a strange implication.Without waiting for his response, Nanjing continued: "But why did he suddenly think of asking you to visit?"

"This--"

"Needless to say. I won't ask." He guessed it without using his brain, and Peiping knew he could guess it. "However, have you invited Chongqing to dinner before?"

"He declined."

"Then invite me."

"Okay."

Nanjing was stunned for half a second, seeing that the other party didn't seem to be perfunctory, he said, "Don't take it seriously? I just made a joke, and I didn't really ask you to invite me."

"Then you should take it as if I agreed casually." Beiping said lightly, "We have been staying together in the rear for almost five years, and I really should treat you to a meal. I wanted to talk to him when I had something to say with Chongqing. You have no purpose, just chat?"

"...Okay. When and where?"

"you decide."

"Okay, let me think about it, find a place that's lively but not too low..." Nanjing Zhi looked at it while calculating, and cast a smiley glance, "Don't worry, I didn't want to take advantage of you. I'll take advantage of this meal." Definitely call back."

Autumn has come.

The air is dry, the sky is high, and it shows a thorough tile blue without washing.The wind blowing from the Aegean Sea is mixed with a slight fishy smell, overflowing between the ancient colonnade and the secondary houses, letting the breath of the ocean mess with the black hair of the girl and smooth the wrinkles of the old man.

Rome is familiar with the autumn in Greece, but not with the young girls and old people in the streets.The cheeks of girls are no longer rosy, nor are they laughingly running across the street with a full fruit basket in their arms. They are thin and their limbs are as thin as hemp sticks. I can't wait to squeeze myself into a crack in the road.As for the old man, on the road, he found a survivor who was a particularly tenacious survivor, even if he cherished the species. The others, most of them died in the famine a few years ago.

After the bombing, there was no one to clean up the ruins of a large number of broken monuments.After a long time, malnourished greenish-yellow grass grew in the section, and some refugees even settled in it. It was difficult to be noticed when alive, and no one would pay attention to it for a while when dead.

These unfamiliar landscapes are all he brought to Athens and Greece.

"You should listen to something relaxing..." In the dark room in Athens, he said to his old acquaintance who was lying on the bed and couldn't even support his upper body, "Sappho's ballads are a good choice."

Athens shook his head, weak but stubborn: "No. I want to listen to "Aeneas". It's on the second shelf, fourth from the left."

"but……"

"I just want to hear it. Don't you want to? Then please give it to me, and I will read it myself."

It was impossible for Rome to let Athens go through it by herself: she couldn't hold a heavier book at all.He followed her instructions and brought the book, but "Aeneas" is a long biography, both a legend of the hero Aeneas and an epic eulogizing the rise of ancient Rome.It was too long for Rome to read it in its entirety.

Athens lay motionless, her arms folded on the quilt were pale and lifeless, but there was an unexplained expectation written on her face facing him.She didn’t specify a passage, and Rome turned to the table of contents, wondering which chapters didn’t contain descriptions of war, suffering, and death, so as not to make Athens’ condition worse.In the beginning, Aeneas and his party drifted on the sea, and later used flashbacks to trace the source, telling the story of Troy being captured by Greece and Aeneas fleeing with his relatives and friends. This is unreadable; when Aeneas stopped wandering and came to Italy, Then began a process full of conquest and killing, which is also unreadable.Only the story of his travels in exile can be read.He thought for a while and opened the fourth volume.At the beginning of this volume, Aeneas has just finished reminiscing about his miserable life, and Dido, Queen of Carthage, is also fascinated by his story.

In the bedroom with dim light and the smell of disease wandering, a deep and magnetic Latin chant sounded: "But Queen Dido has long been stabbed deeply by a pity, and she is healing the wound with her life blood, A nameless evil fire consumed her. Aeneas' heroic spirit and noble birth haunted her mind again and again; his appearance and words were firmly imprinted on her heart. Her love made her helpless No peace..."

Rome read while observing the situation in Athens.It won't be long before she falls asleep, he thought. People who are delirious with a high fever can't listen to such long poems, even if she and he are familiar with the development and ending of the story.In this way, he doesn't have to worry about reading the heart-wrenching plot later.But he was not at all relieved by that.

During the four years when the Axis powers occupied Greece, he heard about their sufferings several times. The famine in the winter of 42 years caused more than 30 people to starve to death in Athens...but he never set foot in Greece. land.He once convinced himself that he was busy with work, but now sitting in front of Athens' bed, her lifeless eyes and dying sick body were like a needle piercing into his heart, reminding him that you are just afraid to face her. Fear of the truth.

He absent-mindedly finished reading the process of the two falling in love and becoming husband and wife.Athens was still awake, so he had to slow down his speech a little, until Jupiter sent an envoy to remind Aeneas of his mission: "Mercury immediately went to him and said: 'Why are you giving the proud The foundation of Carthage was laid, and a beautiful city is to be built here? What a good husband! You have completely forgotten your own kingdom and your own destiny! The King of Gods himself from the glorious Olympus Sponsor sent me to you, who by his power over heaven and earth, sent me with all haste through heaven to bring his orders." Jupiter, he thought mockingly, after a thousand long years, Where are he and the gods he leads? "What are you going to do? What do you hope for, as you roam the land of Libya? If such a great and honorable career in the future doesn't excite you at all, and if you don't want to try to earn your name, then you should, too. Think of Ascanius, he has grown up, he is your heir, your hope, he is destined to rule Italy and the land of Rome." So Mercury reproached Aeneas, his As soon as the voice is spoken, it disappears, disappearing into the thin atmosphere, far away from the naked eyes of mortals."

"You read too slowly," said Athens dreamily, "and the tone is not right. Reproachful, anxious, violent, you read as if Mercury were a stammering servant."

He had no choice but to return to his normal speaking speed, but he still couldn't get into the feelings of the characters in the book.He thought of Aeneas' decision to set sail under the torment, and of Dido's awareness of his intention to leave and his repeated desperate efforts to persuade him to stay.When she realized that she could neither shake Aeneas' determination nor change God's will, she was overwhelmed by the flood of sorrow and anger, and had the idea of ​​suicide.She issued a curse to make Carthage and ancient Rome enemies, and their descendants will never have peace in the confrontation.

He raised his eyes to look at Athens, and his brown eyes gradually became brighter. Not only did she not fall asleep, but she was still listening to his chanting attentively.A sharp pain suddenly penetrated him, and he recalled Dido's suicide, more fervently and pathetically than ever: "'I will die without revenge,' she said, 'but let me die.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die, go into the dark underworld

I won't suffer anymore.let that far away at sea

The pitiless Trojans watched the flames,

Bring me the omen of death! '"

His voice trembled unconsciously.Then, Dido stood on the burning fire, wiped her throat with the sword Aeneas gave her, and fell in a pool of blood.At this moment, Aeneas and his people were already sailing on the sea. When he saw the fire of Carthage, he had an ominous feeling, but he didn't know why it started, and he still firmly carried out his journey chosen by God. .

"Stupid woman." Athens looked at the ceiling, "dizzy with love, and dared to prevent the hero from creating his great deeds."

"No. She's not stupid, she's just in love with a man who is destined not to love her equally."

Athens laughed: "Doesn't this mean that she is stupid? "Aeneas" is a prophecy, praising the great achievements of ancient Roman ancestors, telling people that Greece will eventually decline, and Rome will replace Greece. Aeneas Asi stands at the center of the prophecy, he is blessed by the gods, he must achieve great things, love makes mortals die or live, but he is a hero, it has nothing to do with him."

"Related." Rome couldn't figure out why he was arguing with a patient, but he couldn't stop. "He is also sad, but everything about him as a human being is shrouded in the shadow of his hero. He is doomed to lose his father, he is doomed to leave Dido, and he is doomed to found Rome... In fact, his success is also doomed Yes, God has already arranged everything. In the final analysis, he is a machine created by God, a stupid, uninteresting man... I finally realized this."

"Why are you so sure?" Athens asked in a low voice, she had already said too much, making her voice seem powerless, "Why do you dismiss the legendary creator of your own glory? Or, do you know Author—I mean, the mind of the great Virgil?"

Rome pondered for a long time.

"...I have met him." He said with difficulty, "After Augustus received him, I have met him several times in private."

"What did you talk about?"

"Poetry, and the future of empire."

"Does he dislike Aeneas as much as you do? For those reasons?"

"..." Rome covered his face. "I do not remember."

Athens looked at him with pity, as if she had known.

"I don't remember how the empire rose, I don't remember the achievements of Julius Caesar, I don't remember the appearance of Augustus, and I don't remember what I talked to Virgil..." Only illusory and borrowed memories remain, stimulating It made his head swell. "I have forgotten too many things, and I have an empty body here, but I am confused by the splendor of ancient Rome that has been exaggerated a thousand times in other people's retellings. You, Athens, suffer meaninglessly. I laugh at Aeneas, but I am a hundred times stupider than him..."

He shrugged his shoulders, covered his face with one hand, groped out with the other, and held Athens' thin wrist.

"You should punish me..."

"No." Athens weakly but decisively refused him. "No, I don't want to punish you. No one can punish you but yourself."

"But--"

"We all forget too many things... in the long river of time. But there are always some things that are worthy of our memory and become our comfort. Rome, remember three years ago? When you and Berlin boarded the Acropolis, I What was said to you?"

"Remember. You said Italians shouldn't go to war, their nature doesn't call for blood now... I just thought you looked down on us."

"now what?"

"Now..." Rome's other hand also covered the back of Athens' hand, staring deeply into her eyes. "You are sick, and you don't know many things. Mussolini has collapsed and was arrested by the king. In fact, the day before I came,... Italy has declared an armistice." [Note 3] "Really."

Athens murmured in a low voice, and squeezed his palm with the tip of his fingers, the strength was so weak that he could hardly feel it. "Very good."

A tear slid down from the corner of her eye.Immediately, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep with a smile on her lips.This day, these four years, she is too tired.

Roma held her unwarmed hand, his throat choked up, and his thoughts were overwhelming.The truce declaration did not give him relief.This is just a sad beginning, and there is no end in sight.The day he set off, the city was in chaos.Germany has been offended, and will soon find ways to rescue Mussolini and send troops all over Italy; the allies may not sympathize with them, and will fight for the dignity of Italy and the German army.

... what should he do?what can he do

Sure enough, he heard the news on the way home: the German army was advancing from the north, and the king and the head of the new government had fled the capital without a trace.

When he returned to the city, the streets and alleys of the city were already filled with German soldiers.He didn't go straight home, but came to the palace of Caserta, where the bereaved people buzzed like headless chickens.The steward caught up with him in the garden, cramped like a "suffering servant," to update him on his absence.

"The Germans took over our old occupied areas, many places were not peacefully taken over...I mean, they used force...they even massacred prisoners of war, thousands of..."

The officer's voice trembled and he couldn't continue.Rome imagined the faces of those young soldiers stationed where they thought they were safe, away from war, when their old allies suddenly attacked, put down their weapons and raised their hands, only to be greeted with a barrage of bullets.

The wind rustled through the trees.The drains in the garden were dry and silent.He waved away the clerk, calm and indifferent on the surface, but his internal organs were entangled like a mess.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around vigilantly.

"Milan?"

Milan's walking posture is erratic, like a ghost.She disagrees with him politically, and has been strangers for a few years. "You're finally back." With a haggard and beautiful face, she brushed up her long hair that was blown by the autumn wind, and said quietly, "Are you relaxing?"

"No. Thinking about the future."

"Any results?"

"No.... Thoroughly, I don't know what to do." Rome clenched his fists.At this point, he no longer wanted to hide his heart, "Italy is over."

"It's over?" Milan stopped to straighten his hair and looked at him in surprise, "How come?"

"..." The current situation doesn't seem to require any further explanation from him. "Look, the German military flags are all planted in the imperial garden."

Milan looked at him, his chest heaved, and his voice was suddenly no longer fragile like a ghost: "This? What is the reason for this? You dare to declare to the Germans to turn the Mediterranean Sea into an Italian lake, but when it's their turn to invade, you don't say anything." Say? Rome, how could you become like this?"

There was no one else in the garden.The wind gradually picked up, and the German military flag with the swastika painted on the statue in the center of the pool crackled.Looking at the swastika flag, the wind couldn't help it, and it fell to the feet of the two, silent.

Milan calmed down.She bent down, picked up the flag with her white and slender hands, folded it in half, and tore it into pieces slowly and gracefully.

"You are free to do what you want," she said, her long hair blowing in the wind, "I don't care. But in my opinion, nothing is over. My heart tells me: the battle of the Italians has just begun .”

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Note 1: The Canadian Army was incorporated into the British Army and participated in the Sicilian landing.They had previously received military training in Scotland, while the rest of the landing force came mainly from North Africa.

Note 2: In October 1943, the foreign ministers meeting of the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom was held in Moscow, and Chinese representatives attended it.Issued the "Declaration on Universal Security", proposing to establish a new universal international organization.

注3：1943年7月25日意大利发生政变，国王下令逮捕墨索里尼。之后的巴多里奥政府维持了一个多月到9月8日才宣布停战，德军很快占领意大利北部和中部各省。（一个月后巴多里奥政府对德宣战。意北部游击队蜂起，米兰成为该国事实上的政治大本营。）