It's summer, the night sky is full of stars, and the wind blowing from the low hills takes away the heat accumulated during the day. At the top of Fort Partonham, the breeze is gentle and cool.

Sean invites Colonel Frank to tea.

In fact, Sean didn't want to meet this Frank if he had the choice. Frank's visit this time, in addition to involving the worst case of treason in the history of the Empire, and also involving the dark power of the bloodthirsty, as the national chief of the secret police, of course had to make a trip. But Frank's public mission was to preside over the reorganization of the Genoese Civil Guard, so Sean had to stay with him.

"The crown prince thinks very highly of you!" said a long piece of inconsequential gossip, and Frank suddenly changed his words.

"As a nobleman, I only did what I was supposed to do, and it was both my duty and my right to be loyal to the emperor and fight for the emperor. Sean said modestly.

"Huh. Sean, I have to say, you're humble. Frank laughed, "You must know that the crown prince rarely praises others, even those around him, and rarely gets his praise. So some people say that the crown prince is too serious and even a little unkind, which makes him lose a lot of friends. ”

"Colonel, this makes me a little uneasy, and I cannot afford his praise. Sean said, "However, to say that the crown prince is not close to people, I am afraid this is a bit exaggerated, he is just more serious." ”

"More really?" Frank smiled again, "you're right, he knows the actual situation of the empire very well, whether it's the army or the finances, the reality worries him a lot, so he can't help but be serious." Corruption, waste, malfeasance, and strife, all of which bothered him, and although the rebellion of the True God Party had been put down, bad signs from within us were eroding the power and authority of the Empire. This also includes the authority of the crown prince. ”

Sean haha: "This is a headache for the big guys, I'm a small local nobleman, a small viscount, and I can't think about so many big things." In short, a mayor only thinks about the affairs of a city, and a governor can only govern the affairs of a province. In other words, with great power comes great responsibility. In other words, the higher the position of the station, the greater the responsibility. ”

It was an open secret that Jean-Sauron was not liked by the Emperor, although he was the crown prince, so it would not be surprising if someone disobeyed his orders. But what does this Colonel Frank mean by talking to himself about this?

"Indeed, if you stand high, you can see far. In the distance, there is not only sunny beauty, but also gloom and dilapidation. ”

Colonel Frank said: "In the last ten years, there has been a group in the army, this group calls itself the 'Honorary Officers' Corps, have you heard of it?"

"I've never heard of this, you know, I was just a non-commissioned officer. "And we in Genoa, on the other hand, are always closed off in some ways. Just like women's popular clothing, the most popular style in the Holy City the year before last, is also sought after by women in Poitu this year. ”

As for the Frankish term "community," it was a common word in the times, in the newspapers, in political debates, and in the reports of the people to the emperor.

There were all kinds of groups, such as the nobility, the clergy, the judges, the scholars, the freelancers, the financial groups, the merchant guilds, and so on, and there were various sub-groups, the high clergy and the lower clergy who were committed to the doctrine and the missionary were different in philosophy, and the traditional handicraft weavers were often in opposition to those who used the steam engine as the power of the textile industry.

Some people have defined a group as an organization of people who come together for the common good and pursue the common good. Well-organized groups had their own names, insignias, social status, and privileges, and were obliged to report to the emperor and the cabinet, to submit remonstrances and speeches to the emperor and the cabinet, and to assist in the exercise of imperial power in various ways, such as supervising the execution of decrees, apportioning taxes, participating in elections, and assuming military obligations.

Groups are also another synonym for privilege. This is also the reason why many wealthy people in the countryside move to the city, once they become part of a certain group, they are organized people, keep each other warm, and enjoy some privileges.

There are also groups in the army, which may be due to a heroic battle, a heroic group, or an important military fortress, etc.

One of them is the Honorary Officer Corps, which is made up of professional soldiers of noble origin, many of whom come from military families.

The nobility was originally a military leader who was canonized by the king or emperor for his military exploits, so the nobility was traditionally the natural pillar of the army.

Due to the primogeniture, the second son or other sons of the aristocratic family could not inherit the family business, and generally chose to join the army, which was a good way out. And these noble-born officers had a natural relationship of allegiance to the emperor, and it was through these people that the emperor controlled the army.

Colonel Frank mentioned this to Sean, apparently hinting that Sean would join in.

"Colonel, I'm no longer a soldier. Sean especially emphasized, "Just like what you announced in front of the officers and soldiers of the brigade during the day today." ”

Frank was slightly stunned, patted his head and laughed at himself, "It seems that I am dizzy." It's a pity, the Honorary Officer Corps is composed of outstanding officers from noble backgrounds, you are a nobleman yourself, you have won the Golden Dragon Medal in Northern Xinjiang, and not long ago you have commanded a team of more than 2,000 people, and you have made meritorious deeds, and you are fully qualified to become a member of the Honorary Officer Corps. ”

"However, we still have the option of an alternate member of the Honorary Officer Corps. Sean, I formally invite you to join the Honorary Officer Corps. If the Assyrians provoke war again in the future, the imperial army needs you, and I hope you can fight for your country and your royal family!" Frank's seemingly calm face revealed an irresistible temperament.

There is also an alternate, fighting for the royal family, which is quite new, why not fight for His Majesty the Great Emperor?

"May I know which general is the commander of the Honorary Officer Corps?" asked Sean curiously.

"Does that matter?" Frank asked rhetorically.

"Of course it's important!" Sean believed he meant, and Frank would understand that this wasn't every football group in the 101st Garrison Brigade - every company had one.

Frank did not directly answer Sean's question, saying, "Officers are divided into four categories, the smart, the stupid, the diligent and the lazy. ”

"What's that saying?" asked Sean.

"Every officer possesses at least two of these qualities. A smart and industrious person is fit to be a senior staff officer, a stupid and lazy person can be used at his disposal, a smart and lazy person is suitable to be a senior commander, and as for a stupid and industrious person, such a person is very dangerous to drive him out of the army as soon as possible. ”

"Hehe, this classification is a little general, but it's very incisive. But I think this classification is for everyone, not just military personnel. Sean smiled, "So honorable colonel, what kind of class do I belong to?"

"You?" said Frank, taking a sip of his tea, "before leaving the Holy City, I had a conversation with General Schmidt, and unfortunately, this time he still failed to become a field marshal. He always challenged other people's faces again and again. ”

"It's a pity, it's probably because character determines fate. I suspect that General Schmidt must have had no good words for me. Sean said.

"General Schmidt thinks you should go into politics. Frank's expression was strange, "That would be more promising than in the army, and he doesn't want to have a subordinate like you anyway." Honestly, this is the most surprising comment I've heard in the Holy City. ”

"But in Daguerre, I have been doing well with his orders. Sean grumbled.

"Haha, because you can't find a reason for him to teach you a lesson. "You're like a bar of soap, you slip your hands but you can't throw it away." ”

"I thought I was a brick, I could put it anywhere, and I couldn't complain. Sean said.

"The Honorary Officer Corps, there are marshals, there are generals, the lowest rank is also captains, our members are all over the army, they are all professional soldiers who can be trusted. Frank Road.

Frank said a lot, but still didn't tell Sean who was the head of the honorary officer corps. But he believes that Sean guessed who, because in his opinion, Sean is a smart and lazy guy.

When Sean was a sergeant, Frank knew him, and it was precisely because of this that every change in Sean's identity and status left a far deeper impression on Frank than others.

Unbeknownst to Sean, the personnel arrangements for the Genoese Civil Guard, or the 101st Garrison Brigade, were compromised after a heated debate.

Given Sean's excellent management skills and his outstanding performance in counterinsurgency, it was argued that Sean should remain commander of the local garrison, but was thwarted – a legitimate and normal political judgment.

So as a compromise, Herbert Wells served as brigade commander.

Frank invited Sean to join the Honorary Officer Corps and opened a back door for him - in fact, there was no waiting for him, which also had a sense of appeasement in it. At least the bigwigs of the so-called honorary officer corps see Sean's potential and deserve to be wooed.

This kind of invitation is extremely tempting, Frank himself comes from a military aristocratic family, and there are a large number of bigwigs behind him, not to mention the close relationship between this family and the crown prince, if Sean accepts this invitation, there will immediately be a big backer waiting for him.

But as Sean himself said, the higher you stand, the farther you see. There is another sentence he did not say, the higher you stand, the worse you fall.

This kind of multiple-choice question is quite difficult. Sean's weakness is that he is tough enough in character, but not decisive enough, especially when it comes to this kind of potentially fatal issue.

"You don't have to give me an answer now, you're still young. Frank didn't force Sean to speak immediately.

"Also, Sean, you should consider getting married. "Proliferation is also the duty of a nobleman to his family, and probably the first and foremost. ”

"Why do so many people care about my marriage?" asked Sean without understanding.

"Because for the nobleman, the choice of the spouse also reflects his position!"