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In October 1941, Hitler gave a speech at the Berlin Stadium:

... There is already a territory in the rear of our armies, twice the size of Germany in 1933.Today I can unreservedly declare that the enemy in the East has been defeated and will never stand up again.

In mid-October 1941, the German General Staff ordered:

...In view of the current battle situation, we should focus on carrying out an assault on Tikhvin, go out of the Sviri River, and join up with the Finnish army to completely blockade Leningrad.

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In October 1941, after General Zhukov left, Fejuninsky served as commander of the Leningrad Front for 10 days before handing over the position to Lieutenant General Khozin.

This incident is unclear in Zhukov's own recollection, but according to Fejuninsky's recollection, Zhukov called him and said: "You haven't forgotten that you are my deputy, right? Come to the Smolnier Palace immediately. When he arrived, Zhukov said to him: "You command this front. There is no need to brief you, because you know everything. They want me to go to the Supreme Command immediately."

None of the parties involved explained why Zhukov did not directly hand over the command to Lieutenant General Khozin in accordance with Stalin's instructions, but chose Fejuninsky for a short transition. He only conveyed Stalin's meaning to Lieutenant General Khozin himself. left Leningrad.

Fejuninsky took over as commander of the 54th Army, a position originally held by Marshal Kulik, who was dismissed and transferred due to a dispute with Zhukov. On October 10, the new commander took office.

On the same day, Iliakulik received a call asking him to go to the 54th Army Headquarters.

He had been notified a few days ago that his original position as division commander in the 42nd Army had been revoked, and he was "on standby at the staff headquarters." In fact, there were no suitable positions for him at that time, and the staff officers who came with him all followed Zhukov back to Moscow. .

"Come to the Army Group, old Kulik has taken all his staff away." After Kulik entered the door and called "report", Fejuninsky said without raising his head. A shiny brow above the forehead.

Kulik replied in a low voice, "Yes."

"It seems that you are not very interested?" Fejuninsky raised his head and said, gesticulating around casually, "How is it, no one is talking to you anymore. Regret that you didn't follow back to Moscow?"

Kulik didn't respond.

"Are you someone from old Couric?"

"No—you're not the first to ask that."

"I'm just curious." Fejuninsky smiled, not sure if he was joking. "I once suddenly wondered if it was because of this that you didn't want to follow General Zhukov."

Kulik said seriously: "It's just a coincidence. I have no kinship with the marshal. Moreover," he subconsciously stood up straighter, "General Zhukov is a very good commander. I have no objection to his actions."

"Okay," the major general waved his hand, "don't be nervous, actually these are irrelevant, the important thing is that I have to recruit some intelligent people, I can't be a bare-bones commander; report tomorrow."

Standing there, kulik hesitated as if thinking of something, but then he stood at attention and walked out.

The moment he closed the door, he bit his lip, he wanted to look for Zhulin again.

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"Private Wartime Diary of General Franz Halder, Chief of Staff of the German Army High Command", October 1941 (excerpt):

The encirclement around Leningrad has not tightened as much as expected... The enemy has concentrated a large force and a large amount of supplies in Leningrad. Considering the depletion of our forces in front of Leningrad, the situation will continue to be tense until starvation When it works with us.

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It rained intermittently until the evening of the next day, and ice crystals began to be mixed in the rain; the rain mixed with snow fell on the ground and quickly melted, and was stepped on by pedestrians, making the ground muddy. Zhulin knocked on the door while rubbing the muddy water on the soles of his shoes on the steps.

"Please come in quickly," said the old woman who opened the door, "Viktor was still talking about it just now." She reached out to pick up a cloth bag that Zhulin brought, and Zhulin gently raised his hand to stop it: "I'll take it myself."

He followed the old woman into the house, and Viktor Kudriavtsev came out.He was wearing a cloak common in cavalry units, without a hat on his head, with almost all white hair exposed, and a mild expression on his wrinkled face, but his eyes were sophisticated and sharp, not at all like an old man who was almost 70 years old .

"Come in and sit down," he said, his voice hoarse with age. "What have you got?"

"It's some charcoal. You keep it for the stove."

As the weather gets colder and colder, heating has gradually become a serious problem in the lives of citizens, "This is a scarce commodity." Kudriavtsev dragged his voice a little longer on purpose.

Zhulin didn't mind the slight sarcasm in that tone, he smiled and said, "You see, I'm still a bit privileged."

He put the bag by the door, brushing the dripping water from his coat; Viktor knocked on the wall and said, "This is just right for you to make coffee for."

Zhulin quickly bent down and made a protective movement towards the charcoal block: "Don't, don't, there is no need to be so extravagant," he thought for a while and then said, "Just boil some water and make a cup of tea."

Mrs. Kudriavtseva went to boil water, and the two of them sat down on the wicker chair in the cramped study.Old Viktor stretched his hand behind his back to smooth the cotton cushion, but he heard Zhulin say, "By the way, I haven't told you yet, Kulik is now in Leningrad."

Kudriavtsev's hand froze for a moment, he straightened up and asked, "When did he come?"

"He came with Zhukov, accompanied by the staff."

"But Zhukov has already returned to Moscow, why is he still here?"

Zhulin shook his head lightly: "He is now following Fejuninsky, and the staff of the 54th Army was taken away by Marshal Kulik—it seems to have become a custom to classify the staff as his own. "

Kudriavtsev shook his head and said: "I told Ilia earlier that he is suitable for field troops, even if he is a company commander; It is not in favor."

Zhulin said: "But if he didn't go to Siberia back then, he would have to return to the Cavalry Army."

Kudriavtsev's feelings seemed to be hurt. He frowned and said, "Cavalry, but what's the matter? Don't forget that he was born as a cavalry, and thanks to this background." He muttered in a low voice, "He was in Fulong Chi has been brainwashed."

Zhulin smiled, as if reassuring: "Iron horses replace real horses, this is not a class grab, it's just an evolution; cavalry officers are more likely to accept mechanization than infantry, because the core of their combat is mobility and speed."

Kudriavtsev sighed: "Probably I am old."

He remained silent until Mrs. Kudriavtseva brought the tea.The hot tea was steaming, and the cold room seemed to warm up all of a sudden.

"Even the old woman said that I am old, and when I am old, I don't know what to say." Kudriavtsev watched his wife go out and said to himself, "Now I always like to recall things from the past, such as the saber and my students. He picked up the tea cup in his hand, and suddenly added: "I like talented young people."

Zhulin could understand the melancholy in these seemingly irrelevant chats, he said: "Ilia did a good job, Platov mentioned him when he wrote to me."

"Ilia has a stubborn temper and big ideas, and she has to decide everything by herself," Kudriavtsev said. "He said he would join the cavalry after graduating from high school, but his parents were not very willing; his father complained that his son learned from me when he was a child." Riding a horse, I never thought that when I grow up, I want to ride that beast to the place of the barbarians-but after leaving Frunze, he will never go back to the cavalry." He paused and muttered Said: "Stubborn."

Zhulin took a sip of hot tea and said, "Don't you want to meet him?"

Kudriavtsev smiled and said, "No need."

Zhulin was not surprised, he then changed the subject.

When he walked out of the old Viktor's house, the street was so dark that he couldn't see the face of the opposite person; the street lights on the street were all off, and the face was cut like a wind knife. Zhulin wrapped his coat tightly and quickened his pace, but he was heading in the opposite direction to go home.

When Sasha opened the door, his expression was very surprised. He probably didn't expect to see his dean at this time.

"Are you from the academy?" He let Zhulin into the room and asked.

Zhulin said: "A friend's house."

Sasha blinked jokingly. The life of the dean of the Military and Political College outside of work is very monotonous and lonely;But what she said after that made Sasha stunned for a moment: "I went to Kudriavtsev's house and sat down."

Sasha took the candlestick and put it on the table, and asked casually, "Ilia looking for you?"

Zhulin smiled and said, "Yes, but it doesn't matter if I go to Viktor's place, I just want to see old friends."

Sasha casually picked up the pencil on the table and flicked the candle wick, and still said in a very casual tone: "Ilia is very stubborn, she has to decide everything by herself..."

Zhulin said with interest, "Viktor said the same thing today."

The firelight jumped, and Sasha's shadow cast on the wall also moved slightly.

Zhulin continued: "He came to me and said that there was a shortage of staff officers for Major General Fejuninski of the 54th Army; he hoped that I would write a letter recommending you." There was a faint wry smile at the corner of his mouth under the floating shadow.

"What do you say?" Sasha asked.

He said to Kulik at the time: "Have you ever considered whether the efficiency of the wartime staff department can tolerate a hearing defect of a staff officer." But now he obviously cannot answer truthfully like this. Zhulin asked back, "What's your opinion?"

When the candlelight brightened, Sasha put down his pencil, and he looked at Zhulin and laughed: "What do you want me to say? Although this is helping me, I can only say that Ilia's approach is quite naive. He probably put This matter is too simple to imagine, and you understand what I mean." He stretched out his hand to the candlelight, and the shadow of his fingers stretched on the wall: "The contents of that anonymous letter—you didn't tell him What have you been?"

Zhulin shook his head.

Sasha didn't speak anymore, he clasped his hands together like a child, and the shadow of the wolf's head was reflected on the wall.In Siberia, there are often wild wolves around the temporary barracks when they go out on patrol, so they all carry the iron clips that hunters use to catch wolves.Thinking of this, Sasha's calf suddenly hurt severely like a conditioned reflex.

"If you hadn't been injured by accident, you would have been transferred to the Armored Division..." Ilia's drunken words rang in his ears that day, and his misty eyes seemed to be drowning in the quagmire. Sasha's hands raised in the air silently clenched into fists.

What he fears and hates the most is the sympathy and self-blame of others.

The rain streamed down the windows illuminated by the orange candlelight, and there was a moment of silence in the house.

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